Jaltfoi 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


GIFT  OF 

Author 


"  Dear  Mother  of  my  hart. 


Frontispiece 


THE   HEART  OF  AN 
ORPHAN 


BY 

AMANDA  MATHEWS 

ILLUSTRATIONS    BY 

W.  T.  BEN  DA 


New  York 
Desmond   FitzGerald,  Inc. 


Copyright,  1912 
By  Desmond  FitzGerald,  Inc. 


PS 


TO 
MY   GOOD   ANGEL 

ADA  HENRY  VAN  PELT 


578014 

LISRARf 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

THE  HEART  OF  AN  ORPHAN 9 

THE  TRANSLATION  OF  GIOVANNA  ...  24 
"LITTLE  SISTER  IN  CAGE  OF  GOLD"  ...  37 
THE  MERRY  CHRISTMAS  OF  GIOVANNA  .  .  53 
GIOVANNA'S  ITALIAN  RENAISSANCE  ...  78 
GIOVANNA'S  FIRST  REMEMBERS  ....  105 
GIOVANNA  AS  THE  WRONG  PRINCESS  .  .  123 
GIOVANNA'S  COMMENCEMENT  ....  143 


ILLUSTRATIONS 
"  Dear  Mother  of  my  hart, "  .   Frontispiece 

FACING   PAGE 

"  I  ran  for  the  letters  and  put  them  in  your 

hand " 14 

"  You  took  me  on  your  lap  like  I  was  a  little 

orphun " 20 

"  I  put  on  my  sylum  dress  and  pined  on  my 

hanky" 34 

"  Dolly's  grand  idea  was  for  the  Eggsloosifs 

to  give  the  orphuns  of  the  sylum  a 

Christmas " 54 

"  O  the  teeny  gold  watch  with  G  on  it "  .  66 
"  I  must  hold  my  horny  hand  at  my  back 

for  politeness  " no 

"  I  pulled  again  and  there  was  the  real  hand 

of  a  man " 


THE  HEART  OF  AN  ORPHAN 

J~\EAR  Mother  of  my  hart, — 

I  hope  you  don't  mind  my  putting 
that  name  on  you  when  I  aint  nothing  to 
you  any  more  than  some  little  cat  you 
patted  once.  I  don't  know  where  you  are 
at  and  you  don't  know  where  I  am  at  so  it 
don't  matter  much  what  I  call  you. 

We  aint  all  hole  orfuns  in  this  sylum. 
Lots  of  us  is  halfs  and  the  halfs  write  to 
their  whichever  they  got  left  every  wens- 
day.  The  holes  can  write  too  if  they  got 
anybody  and  a  stamp.  I  am  a  hole  and 
I  aint  got  the  stamp  or  anybody  so  I  will 
take  my  pen  in  hand  to  let  you  know  I 
am  well  and  hope  you  are  the  same. 

This  letter  will  surprise  you  only  you 
won't  never  get  it  so  it  can't  surprise  you 
much.  I  aint  seen  you  for  so  long  about 

9 


3  years  I  gess.  I  was  a  little  girl  then 
do  you  remember  me  in  the  Busy  Bee  Sew 
ing  Club  at  the  coledge  setelment?  I  sat 
at  the  end  of  the  row  and  got  tangels  on 
purpus  so  you  would  come  and  lift  them 
out.  You  had  a  smile  on  you  like  any 
thing  and  I  loved  you.  So  did  the  other 
girls  but  not  like  me.  I  always  knew  in 
my  hart  when  it  was  the  day  to  sew  in  the 
Busy  Bee  Club. 

O  I  would  I  had  a  picksure  of  you  dear 
one  and  swete  but  why  do  I  say  that  be 
cause  I  have  your  picksure  in  my  head. 
You  were  not  old  or  kidish  or  tall  or 
sawdofT  you  were  just  right. 

Do  you  remember  that  day  you  went  to 
my  house  that  was  a  better  day  than  any 
since.  We  laughed  because  you  sat  on 
the  busted  chair  by  misssteak.  Do  you  re 
member  how  my  mama  she  coifd  and  coffd 
something  awfool.  Well  she  died  in  I 
year  and  3  weeks.  There  was  Tony  and 
Isabella  and  me.  Tony  died  in  the  ospittle 
10 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

poor  Tony.  My  papa  died.  It  seemed 
like  we  had  the  habbit  in  our  family.  I 
said  I  wunder  if  me  or  Isabella  will  die 
next  time.  I  do  not  care  much  for  to 
be  an  orfun  is  a  hard  life  for  anybody  but 
I  did  not  die. 

Me  and  Isabella  come  to  live  at  this 
sylum  but  Isabella  was  pretty  and  little 
so  a  kind  lady  took  her  for  her  own.  I 
cried  and  cried  and  said  to  the  maytrun  O 
keep  her  till  I  get  big  enufh  to  adop  her 
myself  but  she  said  no  you  are  too  yung. 
I  beged  for  them  to  let  me  see  her  not 
awfun  but  some  times  2  or  3  in  a  yere  but 
the  kind  lady  said  no  I  want  her  to  forget 
you  and  all  her  passed.  I  no  not  where 
the  kind  lady  has  her  or  if  she  is  dead  by 
this  time. 

Nobody  wants  to  adop  me  because  I  am 
long  and  black  in  my  hair  and  eyes.  They 
do  not  like  orfuns  to  be  long  and  black.  I 
know  because  I  heard  them  say  when  they 
never  knew  I  did.  Can  I  help  that  mama 
ii 


and  papa  was  daygoes  ?  I  guess  not.  But 
Isabella  the  kind  lady  said  was  a  little 
brunet  buty  so  she  took  her  for  her  own. 

Dear  Mother  of  my  hart,  I  heard  the 
maytrun  tell  the  halfs  it  is  not  polite  to 
write  about  me  and  nun  about  you  but 
what  can  I  write  of  you  when  you  went 
away  before  my  mother  died  and  I  know 
not  where  you  may  be. 

O  dear  mother  what  can  I  call  you 
more  than  dear  and  swete?  O  dear  dear 
dear  mother  I  love  you  for  papa  and 
mama  and  Tony  poor  Tony  and  Isabella 
the  kind  lady  took  her  for  her  own.  When 
a  family  is  only  2  like  me  and  you  mother 
we  must  love  very  much  don't  you  think? 
I  will  close  with  9,000,000,000  kisses  and 
some  more. 

Your  long  black  dawter,      Giovanna. 

Mother  of  my  hart, 

You  will  be  glad  to  hear  your  dear  daw 
ter  is  treeted  first  rayte  in  this  sylum.  It 

12 


is  a  Christian  sylum,  we  have  prayers 
every  day  and  py  on  satterday.  The 
peaces  are  small  but  what  does  that  mat 
ter?  I  would  not  like  to  be  a  beggar  on 
the  street. 

There  are  95  orfuns  counting  holes  and 
halfs.  The  maytrun  is  not  mean  but  O  I 
want  some  person  to  love  me.  The  may 
trun  can  not  do  that  no  wuman  can  love 
95  orfuns  how  could  she? 

We  have  school  but  not  satterday  and 
sunday  for  the  Lord  said  let  us  take  a  rest 
so  he  hollered  it.  I  like  reading  but  not 
rithmetick,  what  is  the  good  of  xampels 
about  money  and  apples  and  orunges  when 
you  have  nun?  I  like  to  draw  and  sing. 
I  usto  hate  goggerfry  but  now  no  more 
for  when  I  study  of  any  place  I  say  who 
knows  but  the  mother  of  my  hart  is  there  ? 
When  the  teacher  tells  point  E.  and  W. 
and  N.  and  S.  I  say  which  way  do  I  point 
at  my  dear  but  I  get  no  ans.  My  teacher 
does  not  like  me  too  much  because  my 
13 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

temper  is  bad  so  is  my  writing.  We  must 
be  as  neat  as  we  are  able  and  never  speak 
when  at  the  table. 

Why  I  made  some  potry  I  never  knew 
I  could. 

Mother  of  my  hart  I  hate  my  close.  I 
know  that  is  very  bad  but  how  would  you 
like  to  look  like  95  orfuns  ?  so  nobody  could 
tell  which  one  you  are.  I  am  long  and 
black  like  I  said  and  blue  is  not  my  culler. 

1  feel  my  legs  like  any  thing  and  my  arms 
too  but  I  think  it  is  better  than  rags.     I 
am  thank  full  I  am  not  a  beggar  on  the 
street.     So  I  am  great  full  to  the  maytrun 
and  the  ladys  of  the  board. 

I  sleep  in  a  dormit  I  can  not  spell  it  with 
20  orfuns  no  19  it  is  no  fare  to  count  my 
self.  The  girls  wash  the  dishes  and  spred 
up  the  beds  and  we  have  a  bath  in  the  tub 

2  times  a  month  and  our  neckeneres  washt 
ever  week. 

Sunday  afternune  is  for  visitors  only 
nobody  comes  to  visit  me.  It  aint  that 


'  I  ran  for  the  letters  and  put  them  in  your  hand  ' 


Page  20 


candy  is  not  swete  to  me  as  to  others  but 
a  loving  word  would  give  me  much  more 
joy  but  that  is  not  for  me  I  did  not  cry  last 
sunday  like  I  awfun  do  because  I  thot  of 
you  mother  dear  dear  dear  tho  far  away. 
I  played  you  come  in  the  door  in  your  pink 
dress  the  same  you  usto  wear.  A  lady 
said  onct  but  not  to  me  she  came  to  stair 
at  the  Busy  Bees  when  we  sewed.  She 
said  you  hadn  awt  to  wear  a  dress  we 
could  never  hope  to  own  but  what  is  the 
matter  with  hopeing  any  thing?  It  dont 
cost  nuthing  even  an  orfun  can  hope.  You 
come  in  like  I  said  and  when  you  see  me 
you  cried  out  why  if  here  aint  my  little 
Giovanna  and  you  set  down  on  the  bench 
by  me  and  I  lened  over  to  you  with  my 
head  and  the  maytrun  says  Giovanna  have 
you  gotta  crick  in  your  neck  and  you  don't 
like  her  to  say  that  so  you  go  away. 

If  you  love  me  as  I  love  you  no  nife  can 
cut  our  love  into.  I  didn  make  that  a  girl 
told  it  to  me. 

15 


We  say  our  prayers  at  night  kneeling  by 
our  beds  every  body  at  once  like  a  big  song 
up  to  God.  I  prayed  Lord  bless  my  dear 
mother  but  the  girl  next  she  is  a  half  and 
she  said  shut  up  you  hole  you  aint  got  nun 
so  I  slapt  her  good  for  I  got  you  darlling 
even  if  you  dont  know  it. 

All  the  orfuns  are  putting  up  their  pens 
and  I  must  do  the  same. 

Your  loving  long  black  dawter, 

Giovanna. 

Mother  of  my  hart, 

Since  I  rote  last  I  had  a  hard  time.  I 
have  been  out  in  the  cold  crule  world. 
Give  me  a  sylum  every  time.  There  was  a 
wuman  looking  over  the  orfuns  and  she 
wanted  a  big  one  and  she  found  fait  with 
me  for  not  being  bigger  now  what  do  you 
think  of  that?  She  wanted  some  body  to 
help  with  the  dishes  and  such  she  called  it 
light  work  and  the  maytrun  said  if  she 
16 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

would  send  me  to  school  and  not  work  me 
hevy  she  could  have  me. 

I  didn  like  her  looks  but  I  thot  praps 
she  would  do  for  sorta  plane  mother  not 
the  Sunday  mother  of  my  hart  so  do  not 
be  jellus  dear  one  I  love  but  you  and  that 
is  true  and  our  secret. 

When  I  got  to  her  house  I  never  saw 
such  a  durty  kitshen  and  she  made  me 
clean  it  good  and  her  mop  was  something 
fearce  it  smelt  like  garbige.  I  gess  she 
hadn  washt  her  dishes  most  never.  I 
washt  and  washt  and  I  washt  and  her  dish 
rag  it  smelt  the  same. 

She  had  a  little  boy  and  he  walkt  on  the 
floor  when  it  was  wet  and  I  told  him  no  and 
he  kickt  me  and  I  slapt  him  good  and  his 
ma  slapt  me  gooder  on  the  eres. 

Finely  she  said  I  could  go  to  bed  and  the 
sheets  was  durty  and  I  cried  for  back  at 
the  sylum  but  it  was  far  on  2  street  cars 
so  I  didn  know  the  way.  I  cried  and  I 

17 


cried  but  I  said  whats  the  use  she  gotta 
take  me  back  if  am  bad  enufh.  I  will  be 
bad  like — no  I  didn  say  it  out  loud  so  it 
was  no  sware. 

The  next  day  I  busted  dishes  like  any 
thing  I  sast  her  fearce  and  all  I  dun  was 
misssteaks  and  such.  Her  little  boy  was 
much  a  frade.  She  said  she  would  brake 
me  but  she  coodn.  She  said  much  more 
I  must  not  write  for  it  was  sware  and  I 
can  not  spell  it  anyway.  She  slapt  me  100 
times  on  my  head  and  eres  but  I  would  not 
cry.  I  bit  her  good  and  she  screamed. 
Finely  she  said  you  durty  brat  I  take  you 
back  where  I  got  you  and  I  was  glad  but 
I  said  nuthing  for  fere  she  wouldn. 

The  maytrun  was  not  mad  on  me  for  she 
told  the  wuman  I  was  not  vishus  when 
treeted  well.  The  wuman  wanted  to  trade 
me  for  a  better  orfun  but  the  maytrun 
wouldn  let  her  goody! 

I  seem  more  near  to  you  mother  of  my 
hart  now  I  am  back  at  the  sylum.  I  lost 
18 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

your  picksure  outa  my  head  when  I  was 
bad.  I  will  be  good  for  you,  darlling,  so 
you  can  be  proud  of  your  dawter.  If  I 
have  thinks  of  you  allways  praps  the  thinks 
will  fly  to  you  like  little  birds.  I  will  pray 
God  to  put  wings  to  them. 
Goodby  with  fond  regards,  Giovanna. 

Swete  mother  of  my  hart, 

Was  it  a  dream  you  was  here  today? 
You  lookt  a  little  older  and  your  dress  was 
gray  trimmed  in  pink.  How  funy  I  was 
that  I  could  not  speak.  I  guess  you  said 
she  is  a  quere  one.  I  was  like  a  dum  or- 
fun  they  took  her  off  to  an  other  sylum. 
I  was  so  full  inside  there  couldn  nun  of  it 
get  out  so  you  thot  I  did  not  remember 
you  as  if  that  could  be. 

I  can  not  forget  any  word  you  said  to 
me.  You  told  you  was  happy  which  makes 
me  glad  you  bet.  You  said  you  had  thots 
of  me  and  ast  and  ast  till  you  come  where 
I  was.  I  bleve  that  was  because  I  had 

19 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

them  thots  of  you  and  God  gave  them 
wings  like  I  prayed.  I  am  writing  all  so 
you  won't  think  I  am  dum  like  I  ack. 

Now  you  are  a  goner  and  praps  aint 
coming  back  for  you  didn  say  nuthing  but 
I  ran  for  the  letters  safe  and  tite  under 
my  matres  and  put  them  in  your  hand  and 
you  stuft  them  in  your  little  bag  made  of 
silver  chanes  and  you  kist  me  goodby  that 
is  no  dream. 

Maybe  praps  you  will  write  me  a  letter 
O  there  wont  be  a  orfun  in  the  wurld 
happy  same  as  me!  I  won't  be  eggspect- 
ing  it  and  He  play  I  aint  watching  for  the 
post  man  and  when  he  comes  and  gives 
letters  to  the  maytrun  and  she  speaks  my 
name  He  play  I  aint  sure  she  menes  me 
and  He  say  did  you  call  me  maam  and 
lie  run  with  the  letter  and  hide  under  my 
bed  in  the  dormit  I  can  not  spell  it  and 
He  read  and  read.  O  you  will  write  wont 
you  dear  dear  darlling  dear  mother  of 
20 


"  You  took  me  on  your  lap  like  I  was  a  little  orphun  ' 


Page  21 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

my  hart  or  I  guess  I  will  die  I  want  you  to 
so  bad. 

Your  big  old  long  black  dawter, 

Giovanna. 

Mother  of  my  hart, 

I  got  spots  all  over  me  from  bunting  in 
to  the  furnishure  when  Ime  trying  to 
know  is  it  true  or  not.  I  can't  never  tell 
you  how  I  felt  inside  when  you  took  me 
on  your  lap  like  I  was  a  little  orfun  and 
my  legs  hung  down  most  to  the  floor  and 
I  am  too  hevy  for  you. 

You  said  to  think  you  had  a  dawter  like 
me  and  you  never  knew  it  and  I  was  awful 
chokt  and  couldn  find  my  hanky  and  you 
gave  me  yours  and  you  needed  it  too  and 
had  to  swipe  up  your  tears  on  the  other 
corner. 

I  said  I  guess  you  will  write  me  a  leter 
and  you  said  letter  nuthing  I  was  your 
own  preshus  dawter  and  should  go  with 
21 


you  and  I  cried  so  hard  you  ast  me  didn 
I  want  to  go  and  I  was  scared  for  fere  you 
would  leve  me  agen. 

You  said  my  letters  was  full  of  puns.  I 
am  sorry  but  I  don't  see  how  it  could  be 
for  the  maytrun  is  very  care  full  and  kepes 
dope  to  kill  them  dead. 

When  ever  I  think  of  you  down  on  my 
knees  I  flop  and  I  think  so  awfun  it  would 
be  cheeper  to  just  walk  round  on  my  knees 
but  it  would  ware  out  my  stockings  and 
the  maytrun  would  be  mad  at  me  and  I 
can't  bare  to  make  anybody  mad  when  I 
am  so  happy. 

O  I  will  be  good  to  you  mother  of  my 
hart.  When  you  are  poor  I  work  for  you. 
When  you  get  sick  I  sit  all  night  by  your 
bed.  I  get  crazzy  with  the  clock  and  I 
like  nights  best  for  I  can  sleep  or  eles  ly  on 
my  pillo  and  make  picksures  of  you  in  my 
head. 

O  don't  be  long  gone  dear  angle  mother 

22 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

of  my  hart  and  don't  let  me  be  ever  away 
from  you  one  day  all  my  life  any  more. 
Your  own  dawter, 

Giovanna. 


THE  TRANSLATION  OF 
GIOVANNA 


angle  Mother- 

yes  I  will  be  payshunt  not  to  come 
live  by  you.  I  awto  be  satisfide  when  you 
are  somewhere  loving  me  and  I  am  some 
where  loving  you  but  I  gotta  sorry  spot 
inside  that  you  must  be  gone  so  far  and 
long  from  me. 

I  usto  hate  my  sylum  close  but  now  no 
more  for  its  gotta  pockit  to  keep  your  dar 
ling  letter  in.  All  day  I  love  it  with  my 
hand  and  all  night  with  my  cheek.  It 
makes  a  wisper  in  my  pockit  and  I  wisper 
back  to  it.  I  must  be  alright  with  God 
for  him  to  let  you  come  to  me  but  I  do 
not  see  how  that  can  be  for  I  am  awfun 
nawty  in  my  temper. 

There  is  a  hole  orfun  in  this  sylum  with 
24 


The  Translation  of  Giovanna 

big  moufh  and  little  sents  and  stufs  all  in 
it  like  a  baby.  She  grabt  your  letter  and 
I  grabt  it  back.  I  most  slapt  her  but  it 
ain't  2  weeks  since  I  was  an  orfun  my  own 
self  and  she  gotta  be  it  all  her  life  for  a 
big  moufh  and  little  sents  is  wurse  to  adop 
than  long  and  black  like  me  and  I  didnt 
slap  her. 

My  burthday  usto  be  lost  but  now  I  gotta 
new  one  and  its  the  day  you  took  me  for 
a  dawter  forever  and  ever  Amen.  But 
does  that  make  me  now  a  baby  squawling 
on  my  cot  ?  No  it  is  the  day  when  happy- 
ness  sprowted  in  my  sowl  which  the 
preecher  says  we  all  got  one  to  be  lost  if 
we  are  wicket. 

A  new  big  orfun  sleeps  in  our  dormitory 
the  maytrun  spelt  it.  She  wears  a  pompy- 
door  on  a  mouse  she  made  outa  the  maps 
in  her  joggerfry.  She  keeps  a  flurt  book 
and  a  whiches  dream  book  under  her  pillo 
and  learns  the  girls  of  nights  to  dream 
and  flurt  but  they  cannot  flurt  much  for 

25 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

their  hankys  are  pined  to  their  close  and 
gloves  fans  and  parysawls  orftms  has  nun. 
I  put  the  sheet  in  my  ears  not  to  lissen  be 
cause  I  know  you  wouldnt  like  me  to.  I 
could  write  how  I  love  you  on  all  the  paper 
in  the  wurld  and  not  have  enufh. 

your  feckshunate  dawter 

Giovanna. 

'Angle  darling  Mother — 

I  leve  the  sylum  tomorrow  for  the  board 
ing  school  like  you  want  me  to.  I  am 
yours  to  put  where  you  pleaze. 

I  will  tell  you  all  that  past  today.  I  had 
a  bath  tho  it  was  only  the  middel  of  the 
week.  We  allways  walk  2  and  2  and  we 
reech  all  down  the  block  but  this  morning 
it  was  me  with  the  maytrun  and  no  more. 
I  was  much  afrade  the  orfuns  would  brake 
themselves  outa  the  windos  where  they 
lookt  and  wigled  their  hands  to  me. 

P.  S.     They  didnt. 

We  went  to  a  big  big  big  store  and  I 
26 


The  Translation  of  Giovanna 

lookt  in  a  glass  where  I  seen  myself  all  of 
one  peace  for  the  furst  time.  I  guessed 
I  was  humly  but  not  like  that.  I  scrooocht 
down  for  my  dress  to  fall  more  on  my  legs 
but  it  wouldnt. 

A  lady  made  a  shampoo  on  my  head  and 
a  manycure  on  my  nails.  I  felt  cheep  to 
let  her  do  for  me  like  I  was  a  baby  and 
I  thankt  her  all  I  could  and  I  felt  awful  nice 
and  funny  when  it  was  finisht.  The  may- 
trim  smiled  and  smiled  like  I  never  knew 
she  could  and  she  put  dear  on  me  as  nobody 
does  on  orfuns. 

O  the  close  and  close  she  bawt  for  me 
with  your  preshus  money!  White  pettys 
like  angles  must  wear  and  button  shoes 
with  tassels.  O  my  toes  wigle  wigle  how 
glad  they  are  and  I  bleve  I  could  go  any 
where  in  3  jumps.  And  a  red  silk  dress 
that  wispers  wispers  all  the  time  like  your 
letter  in  my  pocket.  Mother  of  my  hart 
dont  think  I  love  you  more  for  the  close 
because  I  loved  you  the  most  I  could  all 
27 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

ready.     I  got  so  much  love  for  you  in  me 
there  aint  hardly  room  for  my  brefh. 

I  ast  the  maytrun  to  let  me  take  my  or- 
fun  close  for  a  remember  what  I  usto  wear 
before  you  took  me. 

The  orfuns  lookt  and  lookt  and  her  of 
the  big  mouf  h  and  little  sents  put  her  finger 
on  my  red  dress  and  I  let  her.  I  am  not 
glad  for  going.  Orfuns  is  not  the  wurst 
compny  and  this  is  where  you  was  at  2 
times  with  me.  I  will  be  awful  good  at 
the  school  so  you  will  not  be  mortyfide  on 
me. 

your  obeedyent  dawter 

Giovanna. 

Angle  Mother  of  my  hart— 

this  is  the  night  of  my  furst  day  at  the 
Eggsloosif  School  where  you  got  me  put 
to  learn  manners  and  gramer. 

I  will  write  some  good  to  prepair  you  for 
the  wurst.  The  dining  room  is  butyfull 
the  lights  is  in  red  flowers  and  the  plates 
28 


The  Translation  of  Giovanna 

is  deckrated  with  roses  and  the  glasses  is 
made  of  diamons  and  there  is  pink  babys 
stuck  to  the  ceeling.  The  Eggsloosifs 
wear  rings  and  lockits  and  bows.  They 
laff  laff  fast  and  happy  all  the  time.  I 
lookt  at  them  very  much  and  was  glad  you 
put  me  so  high  by  your  love. 

Orfuns  pass  the  food  but  talk  not. 
Eggsloosifs  talk  but  pass  not.  A  lady 
with  teeny  aprun  must  tote  the  food  all 
round  the  table.  The  Principle  sits  at 
the  end.  If  anybody  is  bad  she  does  not 
speke  it  out  for  Eggsloosifs  has  tender 
sowls.  She  writes  it  on  a  peace  of  paper 
and  the  lady  with  the  teeny  aprun  gives  it 
to  the  girl  on  the  quiet.  She  brung  me 
one  and  I  thot  it  must  be  lessons  at  dinner 
so  I  read  it  out  loud  and  it  said  for  me  to 
look  how  the  other  girls  ust  their  spoons 
and  they  all  lafft  and  lafft  at  me  to  read 
it  out.  O  it  was  no  fare !  It  was  no  fare ! 
They  was  mean  to  laff  wasnt  they  Mother? 
I  never  knew  it  was  on  the  quiet  and  I 
29 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

never  knew  my  spoon  must  fall  backward 
in  my  soup.  I  didnt  feel  my  red  dress  no 
more.  I  felt  all  scrooocht  down  like  I 
had  on  my  orfun  close.  I  was  full  of  cry 
but  I  wouldnt  let  it  out. 

Then  the  lady  clered  off  the  table  and 
set  it  agen  with  us  looking  and  not  helping 
nun.  That  seemed  mean.  I  thot  she  did 
so  for  brekfas  but  no  it  was  to  etc  some 
more.  I  couldnt  so  I  wisht  the  orfuns 
had  my  shair.  I  tried  so  as  not  to  be  quere 
but  my  swallo  wouldnt  ack. 

I  never  seen  when  the  lady  come  to  me 
with  gravey  and  I  hit  it  with  my  elbow  and 
it  spilt  on  a  girls  dress  and  I  pollygized  the 
best  I  could  but  she  was  mad  and  she  said 
the  ideah  of  you  being  goose  enufh  to  adop 
me  and  think  you  could  make  a  lady  outa 
me.  I  said  I  aint  nuthing  but  she  is  and 
you  let  her  be.  I  slapt  that  girl  good  on 
the  cheek.  When  you  slap  poorness  she 
will  slap  back  but  richness  has  histerick 
30 


The  Translation  of  Giovanna 

awful  for  her  mother  never  gave  her  no 
spanks  so  this  was  her  furst  blow. 

The  Principle  called  me  ungreatful  pro- 
tee  jay  to  you  or  I  wouldnt  a  dun  what 
I  dun.  I  ans.  no  mam  I  am  a  greatful 
jay  to  her  no  matter  how  I  ack  and  she 
sorta  chokt  and  sent  me  upstairs  to  think 
it  over  with  my  conshents  and  my  con- 
shents  will  ever  say  the  same  it  was  my 
fait  to  hit  the  gravey  but  the  slap  was  not 
on  me  it  was  on  her  to  put  that  name  to 
you.  When  this  letter  flys  where  you  are 
at  there  will  fly  the  letter  of  the  Principle 
to  tell  how  bad  I  was  all  ready.  I  don't 
care!  I  don't  care!  O  its  fearce  how  I 
dont  care  and  I  got  tear  spots  all  over  my 
red  dress. 

I  guess  its  no  use  mother  of  my  hart.  I 
am  not  worth  you  should  have  such  pains 
on  me  and  thats  the  true.  The  ways  of 
poorness  is  not  the  ways  of  richness  the 
ways  of  badness  is  not  the  ways  of  good- 

31 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

ness.  I  aint  no  more  fittn  to  be  your  daw- 
ter  than  the  orfun  of  the  big  moufh  and 
little  sents.  But  O  write  to  me  that  you 
do  not  hate  me  in  your  hart.  Write  that 
I  am  not  all  misssteak  to  you.  Write  how 
you  kinda  like  me  a  little  nawty  and  un- 
fittn  tho  I  be. 

your  awful  sorry 

Giovanna. 

Preshus  goner  angle  Mother — 

it  is  now  the  night  of  my  furst  week  at 
this  school  and  you  aint  sent  no  ans.  to  my 
letter. 

The  Eggsloosifs  say  I  am  low  to  slap  a 
girl  so  they  got  tayboo  on  me.  They  never 
speak  to  a  tayboo  cept  they  have  to  before 
a  teacher  and  if  anybody  was  good  to  that 
one  they  would  put  tayboo  on  her  the  same. 
They  made  a  line  with  chak  round  my  desk 
that  nobody  must  cross  to  come  by  me. 
Then  they  talk  how  low  I  am  like  I  had 
32 


The  Translation  of  Giovanna 

no  ears.  The  class  pote  says  I  am  a  weed 
in  the  middel  of  the  flowers.  I  never  cry 
because  I  wouldnt  do  them  that  much  good. 
I  just  hate  them  with  my  eyes.  What's 
the  good  of  a  Jim  suit  when  the  music  dont 
say  nothing  to  your  toes?  I  am  so  sorry 
all  days  that  no  lesson  can  stick  to  my 
mind. 

But  tayboos  and  such  is  not  my  big  wo. 
I  know  in  my  hart  you  are  sorry  you  took 
me  for  a  dawter.  I  see  now  the  kind  you 
want  like  these  Eggsloosifs  but  I  got  no 
good  start  to  be  that  class.  I  was  not 
made  to  be  a  parlor  dawter  to  you  Mother 
of  my  hart  but  let  me  be  a  kitshen  dawter. 
No  dishes  would  be  greesy  if  I  wash  for 
you.  No  floors  would  be  big  and  durty  if 
I  scrub  for  you !  O  dear  dear  mother  dont 
throw  me  away  for  no  good  but  keep  me 
for  a  kitshen  dawter. 

your  back  door 

Giovanna. 

33 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

Dear  lady  what  usto  be  my  Mother— 

today  I  was  in  the  class  of  gramer  and 
the  teacher  said  Giovanna  what  is  chair 
and  I  ans.  chair  is  a  noun  on  which  to  set 
and  the  girls  lafft  and  I  had  much  mad  and 
shame.  I  heard  out  on  the  street  some 
one  to  cry  potaytoes  potaytoes. 

It  was  the  voice  of  Luigi  a  daygo  he  ped- 
dels  by  the  sylum  and  he  usto  be  frends 
with  my  father.  I  run  out  of  that  school 
awful  quick.  Luigi  did  not  know  me  in 
my  Eggsloosif  dress  and  he  ast  do  you 
want  some  potaytoes  Miss?  Then  he 
knew  me  and  I  clum  upon  the  wagon  and 
I  said  go  fast  I  wanto  lope  with  you  back 
to  the  sylum  for  I  hate  this  school  and  all 
contaned.  He  whipt  the  horse  round  the 
corner  and  then  more  slow  for  it  skun  the 
potaytoes  and  I  told  him  all  and  no  lies. 
He  ans.  lopes  was  no  fare  to  you  so  he  stopt 
the  wagon  and  down  I  clum  and  a  teacher 
of  the  school  come  running  and  she  held 
me  by  the  hand  like  I  would  lope  some  more 
34 


"  I  put  on  my  sylum  dress  and  pined  on  my  hanky  ' 


Page  35 


The  Translation  of  Giovanna 

but  I  wouldnt.  The  girls  lafft  very  much 
and  teezed  me  till  I  felt  sick  with  shame 
and  mad.  The  class  pote  made  a  song. 

see  how  low  daygoes 
run  for  potaytoes. 

I  hate  that  class  pote  I  do  indede.  I  hate 
all  the  fokes  I  got  and  I  lost  all  the  fokes 
I  love.  I  will  go  now  and  put  on  my  sylum 
close  so  as  to  be  ready  for  back  when  the 
Principle  will  say  you  want  me  to.  That 
dress  would  be  alright  with  me  if  it  only 
had  an  angle  letter  from  you  to  wisper  in 
the  pockit  but  now  no  more  so  my  good 
days  are  all  dun.  I  guess  God  knew  I  was 
not  good  enufh  to  be  your  dawter  for  that 
he  let  me  to  spill  the  gravey  and  slap  the 
Eggsloosif  so  your  love  to  me  all  friz  up 
in  your  hart. 

her  which  usto  be  your  dawter 

Giovanna. 

P.   S.     I  put  on  my  sylum  dress  and 
pined  on  my  hanky  like  I  usto  and  I  come 
35 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

where  the  girls  was  and  they  lookt  and 
lookt  and  I  said  I  wear  the  kind  of  close 
like  what  I  am.  I  hate  you  all  give  me  tin 
spoons  and  no  tayboo.  The  girls  lookt 
and  lookt  some  more  and  lafft  not.  Then 
they  was  took  with  much  shame  on  them 
selves  and  they  pollygized  for  what  they 
dun  to  me.  They  said  I  was  darling  and 
we  cried  some  and  lafft  some  and  huged 
and  kist  very  much  and  all  said  they  ast 
me  furst  to  borro  my  sylum  dress  for  to 
ware  in  a  play  and  we  huged  more  and 
now  I  love  Eggsloosifs  same  as  orfuns. 

O  but  the  best  was  to  get  your  dear  dear 
dear  letter.  O  to  think  it  was  just  a  storm 
mussed  up  the  railroad  and  you  love  me 
ever  and  allways  the  same ! 

Xcuse  the  funny  spots  my  tears  made 
them  when  I  thot  the  chane  between  us  2 
was  busted.  Now  we  can  play  they  are 
laffs  I  am  so  glad! 

G. 


"LITTLE  SISTER  IN  CAGE  OF 
GOLD" 

71/TOTHER  Mother  Mother,— 

When  I  make  the  start  with  that 
precous  word  I  do  not  know  to  stop.  O  I 
love  how  you  make  G  on  envelops.  I  all- 
ways  kiss  that  G  I  do  indeed. 

My  new  beautiful  duster  razen  tailer 
soot  came  in  a  box  today.  If  God  had  not 
dyed  me  so  Daygo  brown  at  first,  Mother, 
I  could  look  just  like  the  Eggsloosifs  of 
this  school  in  that  duster  razen  tailer  soot. 
I  cannot  help  my  color  but  I  would  be  no 
more  Daygo  inside  because  you  are  not. 
This  is  not  mean  to  my  dear  parents  for 
they  are  all  dead  and  Tony  got  T.  B.  in 
his  joynts  and  died  in  the  ospittle  poor 
Tony.  Isabella  was  a  little  brunet  beauty 
and  a  kind  lady  took  her  for  her  own  and 

37 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

I  know  not  if  she  is  dead  also  but  I  think 
yes  for  that  is  like  our  famly. 

I  have  a  sorry  spot  in  me  for  what  past 
today.  Luigi — you  know  the  man  of 
fruits  and  potaytoes  who  was  friend  to  my 
father — came  to  see  me  but  he  never  be 
cause  the  maid  called  the  same  teacher 
that  ran  behind  me  the  day  I  loped  with 
Luigi  back  to  the  sylum  because  the  girls 
put  tayboo  on  me.  That  teacher  has  bad 
ideahs  of  Luigi  that  are  no  fair  because 
Luigi  didnt  stand  for  lopes  atall  but  she 
wouldnt  let  him  make  more  talk  in  the  door 
but  shut  it  tight. 

The  class  poet  name  Dolly  was  sent  to 
the  office  for  wispering  which  is  by  the 
door  so  she  heard  all.  She  is  a  real  poet 
because  she  cant  help  it  no  more  than  a 
fitty  orfun  we  had  once  at  the  sylum  she 
ran  the  maytrun  most  crazy.  Dolly  had 
to  write  the  poetry  on  Venusses  back  or 
she  said  it  woulda  been  lost  to  the  world 
and  what  a  pity.  Venus  is  a  little  white 
38 


"Little  Sister  in  Cage  of  Gold" 

saint  in  the  office.  Dolly  has  a  nawty  way 
not  respeckfull  of  her  betters  but  she  says 
when  she  acts  like  badness  it  is  only  jeenyus 
in  the  fire.  Here  is  the  poetry.  I  dont 
like  it  for  not  respeckfull  of  Luigi. 

The  Daygo  shook  his  earings  gold 
And  begged  he  might  the  child  behold 
The  Teacher  froze  him  with  her  glasses 
Sir  you  keep  me  from  my  classes 
Avaunt  thou  son  of  garlick  do! 
Giovanna  flys  too  high  for  you! 

P.  S.  Dolly  says  such  was  not  the 
words  of  that  teacher  but  you  cannot  write 
the  true  in  poetry  or  it  will  not  stand  right 
on  its  ends. 

O  I  have  a  fraid  Luigi  will  believe  I  am 
grown  hawty  and  how  could  I  when  I 
would  be  a  whole  orfun  in  the  sylum  this 
minute  just  the  same  like  I  was  if  you 
hadnt  took  me  out  by  your  love. 

Your  ownest  ownest 

Giovanna. 


39 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

Dear  Mother  Mother  Dear, — 

I  guess  it  was  God  who  got  me  sent  to 
the  office  not  for  badness  but  3  pencils. 
The  Principle  said  listen  Giovanna  all  days 
that  old  fruit  peddler  friend  of  yours  makes 
one  same  song  up  to  this  school  when  he 
goes  by  on  his  waggon.  I  listened  and 
shook  and  shook  for  it  was  Luigi  and  he 
made  no  song  but  only  to  play  sing  in 
Daygo  talk  "I  know  where  is  one  little  bird 
name  Isabella  in  cage  of  gold."  He  did 
that  way  to  tell  me  because  he  got  such 
scare  on  that  teacher  he  hadnt  dare  to 
ring  the  bell.  I  beg  the  Principle  please 
xcuse  all  shakes  because  Isabella  usto  be 
my  sister  and  she  was  a  little  brunet  beauty 
and  a  kind  lady  took  her  for  her  own. 

The  Principle  sent  the  maid  quick  to  run 
behind  Luigi  which  she  done  and  he  had  a 
fraid  to  whoa  but  he  did  and  sat  on  the 
big  black  chair  in  the  office  and  the  Prin 
ciple  was  not  hawty  but  treated  him  grand 
like  he  was  a  payrent  of  this  school. 
40 


"Little  Sister  in  Cage  of  Gold" 

Luigi  tell  of  sell  the  orange  and  the 
apple  in  one  street  of  rich.  He  tell  one 
house  most  big  and  wide  and  high  and 
wonderfull.  He  tell  the  curtains  like  vail 
of  Virgin  in  church  of  Italy  where  his 
madre  do  kiss  that  vail  in  its  corner.  He 
tell  one  little  miss  come  put  back  curtins 
with  her  hands  to  look — little  miss  dressed 
in  pink  silk  all  ruffledy  like  biggest  doll  in 
Christmas  window.  Little  miss  got  long 
black  curls  and  face  of  Isabella.  No  he 
not  make  catch  the  mistake  for  didnt  he  see 
her  since  bambina  to  play  with  his  own 
bambinas?  Was  he  old  to  have  eyes  of 
blind  beggar?  No  it  was  Isabella — he 
say  Isabella  till  he  die  and  no  mistake. 
Then  Luigi  went  away. 

The  Principle  said  Giovanna  Saterday 
a  teacher  will  take  you  to  see  your  sister. 
I  answer  that  cannot  be  for  the  kind  lady 
wished  her  to  forget  me  and  all  her  past. 
She  will  never  let  me  in.  The  Principle 
said  real  hawty  but  not  at  me  "you  got  a 
41 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

Bennyf actor  now  good  as  her  and  a  teacher 
of  this  school  will  company  you.  That 
is  enough." 

So  I  went  back  upstairs  and  the  teacher 
said  where  are  the  pencils?  I  answer 
please  what  pencils?  The  teacher  saw 
my  looks  and  she  thought  I  was  sick  but 
I  wasnt.  It  was  just  my  thinks  of  Isabella 
jumping  round  in  me.  Soon  we  were  diss- 
mist  and  I  ran  quick  here  to  my  room  to 
tell  you  all. 

Today  is  Wensday  and  I  got  to  live 
Thursday  and  Friday  before  I  can  get  to 
Saterday.  For  it  is  a  rule  of  this  school 
not  to  make  visits  in  the  middle  of  weeks. 

O  but  3  days  is  not  so  long  as  perhaps 
never  and  to  think  my  darling  sister  is  not 
dead  in  her  grave  like  I  expected.  When 
God  made  the  start  to  be  good  to  me  He 
dont  forget  a  thing. 

Your  adoring  Giovanna. 


42 


"Little  Sister  in  Cage  of  Gold" 

Angel  Mother  of  my  life, — 

It  is  my  joy  that  to-morrow  is  Saterday 
when  a  teacher  will  take  me  to  visit  Isa 
bella.  Can  my  little  sister  forget  me  in 
one  year  ?  Can  she  forget  how  I  held  her 
on  our  doorstep  at  the  tenement  and  how 
I  made  curls  on  her  and  washed  her  dress 
and  licked  any  kid  that  would  teeze  her  and 
ate  myself  the  most  spoiled  sides  of  apples 
which  Papa  gave  us  that  could  not  sell? 
He  was  a  man  of  fruits  like  Luigi  but  more 
stile  for  he  had  a  stand  and  no  waggon. 
Can  she  forget  how  she  slept  with  me  and 
the  bannannas  and  I  all  times  put  more 
blankit  to  her  and  not  to  me  ?  But  if  she 
has  gone  and  forgot  all  I  will  not  have 
mean  feels  at  her  because  she  was  little. 

But  O  Mother  the  Eggsloosifs  all  say 
that  kind  lady  was  crule  and  selfish  to  sepa 
rate  2  sisters  like  she  done  and  its  the  true. 
She  was  jellus  that  Isabella  would  love 
anybody  else  but  her.  Now  perhaps  my 
baby  sister  has  gone  and  lost  her  love  for 

43 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

me  out  of  her  heart  and  all  by  the  fault  of 
that  kind  lady.  The  priest  says  on  Sun 
day  that  hate  is  wicket  but  I  cant  help  to 
hate  hate  hate  her  hard  and  fierce.  If  she 
has  woe  I  care  not  for  look  at  the  woe  she 
made  to  me.  I  didnt  ask  her  to  adopt  me 
the  long  brown  old  thing  nobody  could 
want  but  you  and  I  dont  know  how  you 
did  but  I  begged  her  only  to  let  me  see 
Isabella  2  or  3  X  in  a  year  because  God 
put  her  to  me  for  a  sister  but  she  wouldnt. 
I  have  no  sure  she  will  let  me  in  for  I 
know  her  hawty  and  jellus  as  she  is  but 
she  cannot  help  I  should  walk  by  her  house 
and  look  for  Isabella  at  the  window.  But 
I  hope  in  no  window  to  see  that  kind  lady 
for  the  hate  I  got  on  her. 

Now  I  will  shut  her  out  of  my  head  and 
only  keep  in  my  thoughts  of  Isabella. 

It  is  bedtime  but  my  eyes  dont  want  to 

sleep  for  my  thinks  of  Isabella  and  they  do 

too   so   I   can   get   quicker   to    Saterday. 

When  I  say  my  prayers  and  my  goodnight 

44 


"Little  Sister  in  Cage  of  Gold" 

to  you  by  my  bed  I  will  say  also  goodnight 
my  baby  sister  in  cage  of  gold.  I  love 
down  to  Isabella  Mother  like  I  love  up  to 
you.  I  pray  God  will  not  let  her  feckshun 
for  me  get  lost  out  of  her. 

Your  O  so  happy  Giovanna. 

Only  Mother  of  my  Soul, — 

We  found  the  place  me  and  the  teacher. 
It  was  a  palace  that  house  but  O  mother 
by  the  front  door  was  big  bow  of  black.  I 
know  what  means  black  bows  for  we  had 
them  all  times  in  our  famly  not  so  big  but 
25  dolars  is  no  cheap  funrals  and  must 
make  stile  for  the  naybors  and  the  man 
takes  the  bow  the  minute  the  cawfin  is  gone 
out  of  the  door  but  for  funrals  of  15  dolars 
he  wont  lend  his  bow  to  nobody. 

I  shook  and  shook  and  say  I  might  a 
known  Isabella  would  be  dead  for  my  fam 
ily  is  like  that  but  the  teacher  answer  it 
would  not  be  so  black  and  big  for  a  child. 
I  said  no  she  was  little  and  curly  and  I 
45 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

felt  some  better  but  queer  for  it  is  sorry 
anybody  must  die.  The  teacher  rang  the 
door  bell  and  the  maid  came  and  her  eyes 
were  pink  with  weeps.  She  told  that  the 
lady  didnt  want  to  see  nobody  because  she 
was  dead.  The  teacher  asked  could  we 
speak  to  the  child  Isabella  and  the  maid 
said  no  she  was  asleep  after  much  crys  but 
she  let  us  in  a  room  by  the  door  with  gold 
chairs  and  talked  like  wispering. 

She  told  how  Isabella  was  to  that  lady 
her  apple  in  the  eye  and  never  did  she  want 
the  child  one  minute  not  by  her  side  and 
Isabella  was  all  times  fechshunate  with  her 
and  sweet  in  her  temper.  The  lady  bought 
her  clothes  always  to  put  her  beauty  in 
other  dress  like  a  doll.  The  little  girl  sing 
like  bright  angel  up  in  the  sky  and  the  lady 
have  every  day  expensif  teacher  of  voice  to 
come.  Upstairs  was  big  room  of  prettys 
just  for  her  to  play  and  the  lady  usto  take 
her  to  stores  and  when  Isabella  point  her 


"Little  Sister  in  Cage  of  Gold" 

finger  to  anything  it  got  bought  awful 
quick. 

O  Mother  the  shame  I  felt  in  me  to  think 
of  my  wicket  hate  and  her  so  good  to  put 
Isabella  like  a  princess  in  the  green  book 
you  gave  me. 

The  maid  spoke  more  to  wisper  as  she 
tell  how  the  lady  went  dead  in  the  night 
when  Isabella  didnt  know  and  in  the  morn 
ing  she  which  her  name  is  Vicktoria  led 
the  child  to  look  fairwell  and  Isabella  cry 
and  cry  with  grief  and  kiss  her  Bennyfac- 
tor  and  beg  her  to  wake  up  and  speak  but 
the  lady  couldnt  for  she  was  dead.  Then 
Vicktoria  took  Isabella  away  and  she  cry 
very  much  but  now  she  sleep  her  nap  and 
forget  her  woe. 

The  teacher  said  "letersleep."  She  said 
also  "This  girl  is  her  sister  name  Gio- 
vanna."  The  maid  looked  surprised  like 
she  seen  a  booger  man  in  the  dark.  She 
tell  how  she  got  some  words  the  lady  gave 
47 


her  for  me  before  she  died.  "Vicktoria 
find  that  girl  of  hungry  eyes  sister  to  my 
Isabella  and  beg  her  forgive  a  selfish 
woman  who  was  so  lonesome  she  wanted 
some  person  to  love  her  most  and  not  love 
worse  a  sister  or  anybody." 

I  chokt  and  chokt  and  reached  for  my 
hanky.  I  said  "O  tell  her  for  me — "  but 
what  was  the  good  to  say  anything  with 
the  black  bow  on  the  door  and  her  deadn- 
gone?  The  teacher  said  better  for  us  to 
go  now  and  we  so  went. 

Mother  I  wish  you  could  hold  me  on 
your  lap  tonight  like  I  was  little  as  Isabella. 
I  got  such  shame  on  my  hate  of  my  sister's 
good  Bennyfactor  seems  as  if  it  will  burn 
me  up.  O  if  I  could  just  beg  her  please 
excuse  my  nawty  hate  all  gone!  Look 
Mother  how  I  hated  these  darling  Eggs- 
loosifs  at  first.  But  this  is  worse  for  the 
Eggsloosifs  are  not  deadngone. 

Now  Isabella  is  back  to  orfun  and  I 
spose  they  will  send  her  again  to  the  sylum. 


"Little  Sister  in  Cage  of  Gold" 

She  must  have  forgot  all  her  orfun  ways 
like  ugly  dress  and  no  cake  and  nobody 
to  call  dear  on  you.  It  will  be  better  than 
for  her  little  hands  to  reach  for  breakfast 
in  cans  of  garbige  but  she  will  not  have 
those  thinks  of  comfort.  She  will  have 
thinks  instead  of  the  princess  she  was  in 
the  house  of  her  Bennyfactor.  I  have  a 
fraid  she  will  die  of  grief  and  differents. 
Mother  I  know  in  my  conshents  what  I 
ought.  It  is  to  go  and  be  her  in  the  sylum 
so  she  can  come  here  and  be  me.  That  is 
my  duty.  I  am  a  mean  selfish  pig  sister  if 
I  dont  and  her  so  little  and  tender  and  no 
more  ust.  I  can  stand  to  give  her  my 
shiny  bed  of  brass  and  my  deserts  and  my 
duster  razen  tailer  soot.  I  can  stand  to 
give  her  the  Eggsloosifs  dear  though 
they  be  to  me  and  Dolly  my  precious  chum 
and  the  teachers  and  the  Principle.  But 
when  I  think  to  give  you  to  Isabella, 
Mother  of  my  heart,  O  how  can  I  do  that  ? 
All  of  me  just  holds  tight  to  you  and  dont 
want  to  let  go  never! 

49 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

Please  write  very  quick  and  say  your 
good  thinks  what  I  must  do  and  perhaps 
by  that  time  I  wont  mind  quite  so  awful. 

I  know  God  dont  want  no  prayer  tonight 
out  of  any  person  wicket  like  me  to  hate 
that  Bennyfactor  lady  so  I  will  make  none. 
Giovanna  of  the  bad  heart. 

Wonder  fullest  Mother  in  the  big  world, — 
Today  I  was  doing  my  practice  and  to 
think  how  that  piano  is  full  of  scales  and 
will  the  postman  bring  your  darling  letter 
and  when  can  I  see  Isabella.  The  maid 
came  and  said  company  in  the  recepshun 
room  and  I  told  her  Mary  you  mean  an 
other  girl  because  companys  I  never  do 
have  in  my  long  life  but  she  said  Miss  Gio 
vanna  it  is  2  company  to  ask  for  you.  So 
I  went. 

O  the  feelings  that  did  jump  in  me  when 
I  see  it  was  Isabella  with  Vicktoria!  My 
sister  is  longer  in  the  legs  and  curls.  Her 
dress  black  for  sadness  but  plenty  of  stile 

50 


"Little  Sister  in  Cage  of  Gold" 

and  no  hanky  pinned  on.  Vicktoria  was 
dressed  in  sadness  also.  That  is  a  way  of 
richness.  Poorness  is  just  as  sorry  to  lose 
a  piece  of  the  f amly  but  must  cry  in  same 
df-J&ss  red  or  pink  except  to  borrow  of  nay- 
Hors  black  vails  and  skirts  not  to  shame 
the  d dad  one  at  its  funral. 

I  looked  and  looked  and  Isabella  looked 
and  looked.  Vicktoria  said  Miss  Isabella 
kiss  your  sister  and  she  did  very  polite 
and  we  looked  more  and  more.  A  teacher 
came  and  said  the  children  need  lonesome 
for  break  the  eyes.  Giovanna  take  her  to 
your  room  which  I  done. 

We  never  did  break  our  eyes  like  that 
teacher  said  but  we  made  the  start  and 
Isabella  let  me  hug  her  like  crazy  and  she 
was  glad  and  loved  me  the  same  like  she 
usto.  I  showed  her  your  picture  and  told 
her  of  your  goodness  and  she  said  that 
was  just  like  her  Mama  and  her  pretty 
face  all  fussed  up  to  weep  but  I  kissed  her 
and  talked  her  back  past  the  sylum  to  the 

51 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

doorstep  of  the  tenement  and  she  remem 
bered  how  a  mean  kid  squoze  his  orange 
in  her  eye  on  purpose  and  how  I  whailed 
that  kid  and  she  laughed.  She  did  not 
want  to  go  so  soon  with  Vicktoria  but 
Vicktoria  said  it  was  time. 

I  never  knew  how  anybody  could  make 
wills  for  people  to  mind  when  that  person 
is  deadngone.  That  Bennyfactor  lady 
make  a  will  about  Isabella  to  go  to  a  school 
in  other  city  where  the  Principle  of  that 
school  usto  be  girls  with  her  and  that  Isa 
bella  have  lessons  to  sing  and  bynby  sail 
to  Italy  for  the  best.  So  Isabella  will  be 
some  lost  to  me  again  but  not  bad  for  now 
we  can  have  stamps. 

And  O  Mother  Mother,  I  have  no  duty 
to  give  you  to  Isabella  and  go  back  to  the 
sylum !  I  got  a  glad  in  me  big  as  a  house 
for  that!  I  have  no  duty  not  to  be  the 
same 

Long  brown  Giovanna  of  your  heart. 


THE  MERRY  CHRISTMAS  OF 
GIOVANNA 

Jl/TOTHER  of  my  thankful  heart, — 

Yesterday  was  Thanksgiving  and 
the  Principal  said  in  chapel  for  us  to  count 
our  bennyfits  up  to  God.  That  was  easy 
like  anything  because  when  he  gave  you  to 
me  seems  like  he  said  "Giovanna,  here  is  all 
your  bennyfits  in  one  package." 

Our  school  turkey  was  big  as  a  little  ash 
barrel  and  the  dinner  so  many  courses  it 
was  like  a  week  of  meals  tied  together. 

I  fell  awake  in  the  middle  of  Thankful 
Night  and  first  believed  me  to  be  back  in 
the  sylum  for  the  many  girls  in  white 
nightys.  But  when  I  saw  those  nightys 
all  embroidery  and  my  shiny  bed  of  brass 
and  one  girl  to  toast  marshmallows  on  the 
steam  heat  I  knew  the  difference  and  was 
53 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

glad.  Dolly  my  poet  chum  now  rooms 
with  me  by  both  our  wish.  Dolly  stood  on 
her  bed  making  her  arms  act  like  the 
priest's  and  whispered  a  speech  most  out 
loud  to  say  she  had  been  taken  with  an  idea 
in  her  sleep  very  grand  even  noble. 

The  Eggsloosifs  laughed  much  and 
whispered  "Here!  here!"  and  sat  on  our 
beds  and  floors  to  listen  and  passed  chocky- 
let  creams.  Only  one  was  sleepy  and  said 
pickle  that  idea  but  the  rest  put  shame  and 
pillows  on  her.  I  asked  "Dolly,  is  it  a 
new  poem?"  and  she  answered  "no  but 
better  for  a  poem  is  just  litteryture  and 
this  idea  is  all  true  izem."  I  asked 
"What's  izem  Dolly?"  but  she  never  ex 
plained.  She  made  more  speech  but  low 
for  teachers  wake  easy.  She  said  there  is 
us  pampered  darlings  of  our  doting  par 
ents  and  there's  orfuns  who  are  Miss  For 
tune's  wafes  and  poor  things.  Her  grand 
idea  was  for  the  Eggsloosifs  to  give  the 
orfuns  of  the  sylum  a  Christmas  like  they 

54 


"  Dolly's  Krand  idea  was  for  the  Eggsloosifs  to  give  the  orphuns  a  Christmas" 

Page  54 


The  Merry  Christmas  of  Giovanna 

never  dreamed  could  be  in  this  world. 
The  girls  jumped  themselves  up  and 
danced  in  their  bear  feet  for  glad  of  my 
chum's  noble  idea  and  I  never  loved  Eggs- 
loosifs  quite  so  hard  as  that  minute. 

Dolly  put  me  in  her  speech  to  name  me 
cyclopede  of  orfun  lore  who  must  under 
stand  their  habits  and  for  me  to  all  times 
speak  up. 

One  girl  said  the  orfuns  could  use  her 
tree  the  next  day  after  the  day  after  Christ 
mas.  I  said  did  they  truly  want  the  cyclo 
pede  of  orfun  lore  to  speak  up  ?  They  an 
swered  "Yes,  lay  on  mack  duff."  I  shook 
some  in  my  bed  but  lay  on  like  they  said 
and  explained  how  orfuns  must  be  ever 
grateful  for  trees  but  all  years  to  have 
Christmas  not  on  the  hollyday  but  after 
other  persons  have  finished  tastes  like  cold 
potatoes  to  their  souls. 

The  girls  said  this  must  be  no  cold  po 
tato  Christmas.  They  decided  to  beg  their 
parents  to  sellybrate  their  presents  at  home 

55 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

Christmas  Eve  and  to  let  them  eat  early 
Christmas  Day  so  as  to  fetch  the  orfuns 
to  the  school  before  dark  and  all  so  prom 
ised  except  one  girl  that  lives  far  off  in  the 
geography. 

Another  girl  said  "Lets  give  the  orfuns 
turkey  dinner  before  the  tree,"  but  some 
complained  so  many  relayshuns  wait  for 
presents  they  could  not  put  that  much  al 
lowance  onto  orfuns. 

But  an  Eggsloosif  named  Bessie  made 
to  answer  "Lets  ask  the  Principal  if  we 
have  no  deserts  on  our  dinners  from  now  to 
Christmas  perhaps  she  will  give  us  turkey 
dinner  for  the  orfuns." 

The  girl  of  sleepy  replied  "That  is  easy 
now  to  say  when  we  have  just  finished 
mints  pie  and  plum  pudding  and  cake  and 
ice  cream  and  raisins  and  nuts  all  in  one 
Thankful  dinner  but  a  month  of  no  deserts 
would  be  terrible  and  must  reduce  us  all  to 
skinnybone."  The  other  Eggsloosifs  made 
laughs  on  her  and  more  pillows  and  said 


The  Merry  Christmas  of  Giovanna 

no  deserts  was  allright  with  them  for  or 
funs'  sake. 

Dolly  poeted  when  she  never  knew  she 
was  going  to. 

"Dear  cyclopede  of  orfun  lore, 
O  wont  you  please  to  tell  us  more  ?  " 

So  I  told  how  the  presents  of  orfuns  are 
most  times  the  same  for  all.  You  look  at 
your  present  and  then  3  or  4  dozen  orfuns 
hold  the  same  in  their  hands  and  if  you 
let  go  of  it  you  can  tell  no  more  if  it  is 
really  that  one  except  yours  was  not  broken 
and  the  one  you  now  got  is  so. 

The  Eggsloosifs  had  serious  looks  on 
them  and  said  all  gifts  must  be  different. 
They  sang  to  me  Dolly's  poetry. 

"Dear  cyclopede  of  orfun  lore, 
O  wont  you  please  to  tell  us  more  ?  " 

So  I  told  that  if  not  the  same  then  orfun 
presents  must  be  already  busted  prettys  of 
richness.  In  my  sylum  Christmas  one 

57 


The  PI  cart  of  an  Orphan 

time  I  got  a  doll  like  I  prayed  by  my  bed 
very  beautiful  except  she  missed  one  foot 
and  one  hand  and  one  eye  and  a  crack  in 
her  djeek.  I  tried  to  think  onto  her  all 
that  was  missed  but  I  never  could  so  I 
instead  how  she  had  been  whaled 


by  a  cruel  father  but  was  now  a  whole  and 
adopt  by  me  to  love  better  for  her  misseds 
and  whales. 

Dolly  hugged  me  and  all  promised  no 
gifts  must  be  busted  and  sang  Dolly's 
poetry  at  me  again  to  speak  up  more. 

I  answered  "This  next  is  too  much  for 
orfuns  but  O  the  ache  I  usto  have  in  me  for 
a  present  tied  in  tisshoe  paper  with  a  red 
ribbon  !  I  ached  and  ached  and  ached  for 
that  like  a  pain  to  take  medicine  with  a 
spoon  for  cure." 

All  exclaimed  tisshoe  paper  with  red  rib 
bon  must  be  wrapped  round  the  gifts  like 
for  relayshuns  or  anybody. 

I  said  I  must  wear  my  orfuns  clothes 
for  them  not  to  see  me  that  usto  be  orfun 

58 


The  Merry  Christmas  of  Giovanna 

now  in  dress  of  richness.  Dolly  made  her 
arms  act  like  6  priests  for  telling  all  to 
wear  orfun  dress  same  as  me  and  look  like 
wholes.  The  Eggsloosifs  cried  "Q  lets! 
lets!  lets!"  and  the  girl  who  lives 'fcfafr  in 
the  geography  said  she  would,  writef  hjsr 
family  to  let  her  stay  and  have  colcT  potato 
Christmas  at  home  after  all  had  finished 
so  she  could  wear  a  sylum  dress. 

But  I  said  that  is  no  fair  because  orfuns 
want  to  stare  at  pretty  clothes  and  not  come 
here  to  see  like  their  own  selves  in  the 
lookinglass. 

Dolly  was  taken  with  another  idea  so 
big  it  made  her  most  crazy — that  was  to 
put  the  pretty  clothes  on  the  orfuns'  backs 
to  keep.  She  asked  me  how  many  orfuns 
and  I  answered  I  believed  the  orfuns  to  be 
about  the  same  thickness  of  Eggsloosifs 
and  she  declared  one  girl  must  dress  one 
orfun  perhaps  not  new  but  good  and  pretty. 

All  got  excited  and  forgot  teachers  and 
the  Principal  opened  the  door  in  a  keemono. 

59 


Dolly  disappeared  under  the  blanket  but 
her  head  was  wrong  way  round  to  her 
feet  on  the  pillow. 

The  Principal  went  to  look  haughty  but 
her  eyes  laughed  and  the  girls  begged  her 
in  which  she  came  and  they  told  her  all. 
She  said  we  might  make  Christmas  for 
orfuns  and  econymze  by  no  deserts  for 
orfun  turkey  but  now  to  bed  and  not  catch 
our  deathycolds  which  all  so  done  very 
happy. 

It  is  my  turn  to  practice  scales  on  the 
piano  so  I  will  say  goodbye,  darling  benny- 
fit  Mother  of  me.  Giovanna. 

Angel  Christmas  present  Mother, — 

We  have  so  much  orfun  business  in  this 
school  we  almost  cannot  do  our  practice 
and  lessons.  The  girls  all  secured  easy 
the  dresses  but  now  have  much  trouble  to 
find  the  right  orfun  which  fits  in  the  dress. 
All  Saturdays  go  committys  of  Eggsloosifs 
to  the  sylum  for  measuring  orfuns  but 
60 


The  Merry  Christmas  of  Giovanna 

just  with  their  guess  not  to  spoil  the  sur 
prise. 

Dolly  begged  her  dress  off  an  Aunt  with 
a  little  girl  cousin.  It  is  navy  blue  silk 
deckrated  with  ruffles  so  her  orfun  must  be 
7  like  the  dress.  She  picked  out  a  whole 
named  Lizzie  to  fit  it  fine  so  that  is  not  her 
grief  and  woe  but  it  comes  of  asking  Lizzie 
what  she  wants  for  presents  and  Lizzie 
begged  UO  please  a  Mama  and  a  Papa." 
Dolly  has  that  kind  of  heart  to  promise 
first  and  then  wonder  if  she  can  so  now 
she's  got  to  anyway  and  it  puts  her  most 
crazy.  If  Lizzie  could  just  be  the  pretty 
kind  but  her  compleckshun  is  pale  trimmed 
with  freckles  and  her  teeth  are  some  gone 
and  not  grown  in  yet.  Her  hair  is  red 
pigtales.  Her  nose  skwints  up  a  little  but 
not  enough  to  notice  much  and  she  has  a 
good  blue  eye  and  a  feckshunate  dishpishin. 
Dolly  names  her  hair  tisshen  but  the  Eggs- 
loosifs  laugh  and  say  no,  plain  carrots. 
They  all  times  advise  Dolly  to  raffel  her 
61 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

off  at  the  tree  with  tickets  but  my  .noble 
chum  will  ever  answer  "Heethen  crea-, 
tures!  raffel  off  your  own  orfuns  if  you 
want  to  but  my  Lizzie  never  do  I  raffel !  I 
will  find  her  sootybell  parents  or  adopt  her 
myself." 

It's  a  tight  secret  only  Dolly  lets  me  tell 
just  you  she's  got  the  parents  of  Lizzie  all 
picked  but  they  don't  know  it  yet  and  Dolly 
has  awful  scares  to  imagine  how  they  will 
act  when  the  news  gets  broke  on  them.  It 
is  an  Aunt  and  Uncle  not  the  one  she 
begged  the  dress  off  of  but  another  named 
Winnyfred  and  John  with  no  child  and 
rich  like  anything.  Dolly  makes  little 
tacks  on  their  hearts  like  to  say  ''What  is 
home  without  an  orfun?"  But  her  Uncle 
will  ever  answer  "When  orfun  comes  in 
at  the  door  piece  flies  out  of  the  window" 
which  is  a  mistake  for  Lizzie  is  not  the 
kind  to  break  the  window  like  Dolly's 
Uncle  thinks. 

This  does  not  discourage  my  poet  chum. 
62 


The  Merry  Christmas  of  Giovanna 

She  has  a  skeem  to  fix  all  Christmas  night 
at  the  tree.  The  Eggsloosifs  will  invite 
their  relayshuns  and  the  halfs  their  which 
ever  they  got  lefts  and  the  maytrtm  will 
company  the  wholes.  Dolly  says  anybody 
must  give  thanks  for  presents  and  never 
look  like  it  is  not  the  best  thing  they  want 
in  the  big  world  so  she  will  give  Lizzie  to 
her  Aunt  and  Uncle  for  a  present  and  them 
to  Lizzie  for  a  present  and  all  live  happy 
ever  after  and  three  off  her  list.  I  tell 
Dolly  a  present  can  be  no  fair  like  a  lady  in 
our  tennyment  O  awful  poor  and  a  daygo 
organist  made  a  present  to  her  little  boy 
of  a  sick  monkey  that  must  all  days  eat 
cream  and  bannannas.  Dolly  says  the 
cases  are  different  but  she  will  ask  the 
Principal  so  I  may  be  satisfied. 

Mother  I  had  to  choose  the  orfun  of  big 
mouth  and  little  sense  because  nobody  else 
could  like  her  looks  and  ways  but  I  know 
what  feels  you  have  to  be  that  kind  no  per 
son  wants.  She  is  most  my  size  and  will 

63 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

fit  in  my  plain  brown  rainy  dress  or  my 
red  silk.  The  Principal  says  in  chapel 
"mind  your  conshents"  so  I  asked  mine 
which  dress?  One  conshent  says  "Shame 
Giovanna  selfish  pig  girl,  think  how  that 
orfun  put  her  finger  to  that  red  silk  dress 
at  the  sylum  the  day  it  was  bought  and 
said  'pretty  pretty'  and  now  with  that 
dress  on  her  she  will  be  happy  up  to  the 
sky  and  believe  she  is  an  angel."  And 
then  another  conshent  will  speak  "Un 
grateful  one  to  give  away  the  so  beautiful 
dress  of  red  whistling  silk  the  first  bought 
you  by  your  darling  Bennyfactor  Mother 
that  whistles  all  the  time  of  her!  What 
can  it  whistle  to  that  orfun  of  big  mouth 
and  little  sense?"  Now  Mother  what  do 
I  make  with  those  conshents  ?  Our  letters 
must  go  far  so  it  will  be  done  before  I  get 
your  advice  to  tell  what  conshent  I  shall 
mind. 

O  if  you  could  visit  me  that  would  be  my 
Christmas  present  of  the  whole  world  but 
64 


The  Merry  Christmas  of  Giovanna 

you  say  that  cannot  happen.  I  will  try 
and  not  make  too  much  sadness  to  myself 
for  that  because  when  I  am  your  daughter 
every  day  is  Christmas  for  my  thinks  of 
you. 

Giovanna. 

Mother  of  my  Christmas  heart, — 

There  stays  just  your  me  tonight  in  this 
school  of  many  girls.  All  the  Eggsloosifs 
sellybrate  Christmas  Eve  at  home  except 
her  that  lives  far  in  the  geography  and  she 
went  to  Dolly's  tree  not  to  notice  home 
sick  aches  in  her  soul  like  she  got  simp- 
turns. 

Dolly  invited  me  so  hard  she  most  got 
mad  on  me  not  to  go  but  I  never  could 
for  lonesome.  Here  I  have  no  lonesome 
but  glad  instead  because  you  said  in  your 
preciousest  letter  of  all  that  this  Eve  I 
could  know  you  were  writing  to  me.  Last 
Christmas  I  was  mixed  with  many  orfuns 
but  felt  like  sollytude.  This  Christmas  I 

65 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

got  such  company  as  nobody  ever  had  that 
together  we  write  to  each  other.  Last 
Christmas  at  the  sylum  I  received  a  work 
basket  with  two  spools  and  thimbel  but 
no  surprise  for  they  were  all  on  the  may- 
trun's  bed  when  I  swept  her  room  and  no 
names  just  any  basket  to  whatever  orfun. 
The  maytrun  named  me  ungrateful  to  cry 
but  Mother  how  could  Christmas  be  glad 
when  my  surprise  was  lost  ? 

I  usto  not  think  so  much  of  Santa  Claus 
as  some  to  treat  richness  all  times  better 
than  poorness  but  I  learned  off  a  kid  on 
our  doorstep  at  the  tennyment  that  there 
isn't  any.  So  its  no  fair  to  blame  a  person 
who  never  was  anybody  and  I  believe  a 
really  truly  Santa  Claus  would  act  like 
his  photograf  looks  and  not  forget  the 
stockings  of  poorness — 

The  ^  of  poorness  has  the  long  tale  be 
cause  in  that  minute  the  maid  knocked  with 
a  bundle  for  me.  This  is  my  thoughts  to 
open  that  box.  O!  O!  O!  O!  O!  O!  O! 
66 


"  O  the  teeny  gold  watch  with  G  on  it 


Pase  67 


The  Merry  Christmas  of  Giovanna 

To  think  you  put  in  prettys  for  me  to 
give  to  all  the  names  in  my  letters.  Dolly 
will  jump  and  dance  at  the  nugget  buckle. 
Luigi  will  put  a  smile  on  him  like  any 
thing  to  see  the  yellow  pipe.  O  Mother 
never  before  in  my  long  life  did  I  give 
a  present  to  any  person.  For  somebody 
to  look  on  me  with  present  looks  that  will 
be  my  all  new  joy  with  this  first  Christmas 
to  be  your  daughter. 

In  the  boxes  corner  stayed  a  little  pack 
age  in  tisshoe  paper  tied  with  red  ribbon. 

0  the  teeny  gold  watch  with  G  on  it  in 
pearls  and  a  pearl  pin  to  fasten  it  on  top 
of  my  heart!     O  Mother  it  never  can  be 
me  that  usto  be  orfun  Giovanna  to  own 
that  watch !     It  must  be  a  fairy  dream  and 

1  will  wake  up  in  the  sylum  to  say  "What 
a  dream  I  dreamed !"     Always  your  pres 
ents  talk  to  me  of  you  or  look  at  me  with 
your  looks  but  this  watch  speaks  most  of 
all  not  to  stop  in  day  or  night  or  get  tired. 
I  say  to  it  "Little  angel  watch  she  is  the 


Mother  of  my — "  And  that  watch  so 
smart  ticks  back  "heart,  heart,  heart, 
heart."  No  other  watch  could  be  smart 
like  this  of  pearly  G  and  teeny  golden 
hands. 

0  but  it  makes  me  feel  twice  as  dreadful 
about  your  Christmas  present  you  won't 
get  from  me  for  an  awful  long  time  like 
next  summer.     If  you  are  thinking  this 
minute  I  forgot  your  present  that  is  not 
the  true  but  despare  and  most  wear  out 
my  brains  that  is  the  true  and  now  what 
looks  like  no  gift. 

1  was  going  to  buy  you  a  pretty  with 
the  money  you  sent  for  a  swetter  but  the 
Principal  said  in  chapel  to  take  the  money 
of  your  parents  to  buy  them  gifts  what 
love  in  that?     Give  them  what  costs  you 
effort  and  self  denial.     And  she  talked 
more  to  say  never  give  debty  presents  just 
because  you  owe  them  or  hopeful  presents 
to  get  one  back.     Dolly  raised  her  hand 

68 


The  Merry  Christmas  of  Giovanna 

and  asked  "What  if  somebody  needs  a 
present  which  they  don't  want?"  The 
girls  giggled  to  guess  she  meant  Lizzie. 
The  Principal  replied  "Decide  that  your 
self  with  love  and  tact.  Young  ladies  you 
are  dismissed  to  your  classrooms." 

Dolly  says  love  and  tact  and  the  Prin 
cipal  and  a  quarter  which  fell  heads  up  are 
all  on  her  side  to  give  Lizzie  to  her  Uncle 
and  Aunt  at  the  tree.  She  made  a  poem 
for  her  parents  out  of  her  own  poetry  but 
I  cannot  poet  for  you  Mother  because  it 
must  fall  on  one  out  of  the  sky  or  its  no 
good.  A  musical  girl  dedycated  her  par 
ents  many  staffs  full  of  tunes  but  I  could 
only  make  you  some  scales  what  are  notes 
upstairs  and  downstairs  and  that  would 
be  no  present.  A  very  smart  girl  in  les 
sons  was  to  give  her  prize  if  earned  which 
made  me  worse  despare  for  many  girls 
shorter  in  their  skirts  are  longer  than  me 
in  their  grades  which  must  put  shame  oil 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

you  and  the  prize  for  spelling  is  past  my 
hope  so  how  could  I  think  to  earn  a  prize 
except  for  stupid  and  faults  ? 

Friday  was  the  last  day  of  this  school 
turn,  and  the  Principal  gave  out  the  prizes 
with  many  cheers  from  all  and  her  of 
smartness  earned  the  one  for  grammar 
which  was  a  poetry  book.  At  last  the 
Principal  said  there  was  one  more  prize  to 
decide  by  vote  of  all  the  girls  which  pupil 
had  got  most  better  in  manners  by  trying 
hard.  O  Mother  that  prize  was  given 
to  me  and  not  by  fair  because  no  other 
girl  here  was  ever  orfun  so  I  had  the  head 
start  in  backness.  I  was  so  scared  I  al 
most  could  not  hold  out  my  hand  and  to 
walk  back  to  my  seat  I  did  not  know  where 
it  stood  with  the  Eggsloosifs  to  clap  clap 
their  hands  so  much.  By  and  by  when  I 
opened  the  package  the  Principal  asked  me 
why  I  look  so  disapointed.  I  answered  "It 
is  very  beautiful  and  never  did  I  earn  it  but 
what  can  my  Mother  make  with  a  Girl's 
70 


The  Merry  Christmas  of  Giovanna 

Memory  Book  of  School  for  a  Christmas 
present?"  She  explained  that  if  I  wrote 
it  full  of  memorys  for  you  Mother  it  would 
be  a  piece  of  real  daughter  present  same 
as  Dolly's  and  the  musical  girl's  and  her 
of  smartness.  But  it  is  my  grief  and  woe 
you  will  not  get  it  in  time  for  Christmas 
because  I  cannot  write  in  it  memorys  that 
are  not  to  happen  yet  but  must  wait  till 
they  happen. 

I  have  decided  to  give  away  my  red  silk 
dress  because  my  Christmas  conshent  says 
"Giovanna  you  got  such  lots  and  that  orfun 
so  little."  O  my  little  darling  watch !  It 
now  ticks  "You  got  to  stop,  you  got  to 
stop"  because  the  electric  will  be  off  in 
one  minute  and  so  goodnight  Darling 
Mother  from  little  watch  and  me. 

Giovanna. 

Mother  of  my  Merry  Christmas  Heart, — 

The  candles  are  just  blown  out  on  the 

orfun  tree  and  I  took  a  pink  one  not  much 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

burnt  to  put  in  the  teeny  silver  candle 
stick  Dolly  gave  me  so  I  can  write  to  you 
after  electric  is  off.  I  believe  this  candle 
likes  to  burn  itself  up  for  that  because  it 
waves  round  its  little  flame  as  if  to  speak 
"Giovanna  remember  me  to  your  Mother." 

The  Eggsloosifs  all  rushed  back  today 
quick  as  possible  after  their  deserts  to 
dress  themselves  orfun  style.  Such 
laughs  never  were  heard  in  the  real  kind. 
Then  came  the  jenuine  orfuns  and  O  the 
looks  on  them  to  behold  the  immitashun 
orfuns !  That  orfun  which  usto  make  tall 
her  pompydoor  with  the  maps  out  of  her 
geography  said  if  she  had  known  she  was 
invited  just  to  other  sylum  she  never 
woulda  come. 

The  Eggsloosifs  took  each  one  her  orfun 
to  her  room  and  dressed  her  all  sweet  and 
pretty  and  stylish  like  a  girl  of  richness 
with  two  parents.  One  orfun  said  to  her 
Eggsloosif  "I  thank  you  but  keep  this  dress 
to  your  own  self  because  you  look  worse 
72 


-The  Merry  Christmas  of  Giovanna 

poor  than  me."  And  the  father  of  that 
Eggsloosif  is  a  looooooair. 

Mine  which  was  her  of  big  mouth  and 
little  sense  all  times  touched  the  red  silk 
with  her  finger  and  repeated  "My  red 
dress,  my  red  dress"  like  my  watch  ticks 
and  I  was  glad  to  see  her  love  it  that 
hard. 

Dolly's  Lizzie  turned  not  pretty  but  so 
Dolly  named  her  quaint  and  said  that  was 
more  distinggay.  Lizzie  asked  "Will  my 
new  Mama  like  me  better  in  this  dress?" 
And  Dolly  kissed  her  and  pinned  a  card 
on  her  "Merry  Christmas  to  dear  Aunt 
Winnyfred  and  Uncle  John  from  Dolly." 
But  Lizzie  never  saw  Dolly  wring  her 
hands  to  me  on  the  quiet  to  show  what 
scares  she  got  on  herself. 

Mother  when  all  was  finished  the  orfuns 
made  immitashun  Eggsloosifs  like  the 
Eggsloosifs  made  immitashun  orfuns — I 
guess  because  the  Eggsloosifs  in  dress  of 
poorness  acted  like  fixed  grand  for  a  party 
73 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

and  the  orfuns  could  not  forget  so  quick 
their  scroocht  down  feelings  even  in  dress 
of  richness. 

Next  was  the  turkey  dinner  with  the 
orfuns  in  the  chairs  and  the  Eggsloosifs 
to  act  like  maids.  All  their  swallows 
could  work  fine  and  they  were  very  satis 
fied  except  Lizzie  teased  to  sit  between  her 
Mama  and  Papa  but  Dolly  told  her  they 
were  not  yet  come. 

After  turkey  dinner  all  went  to  the  big 
hall  of  the  Christmas  tree  and  there  stayed 
the  parents  and  relayshuns  and  which- 
evers.  Dolly  looked  so  pityfull  for  her 
feelings  on  Lizzie  a  kind  old  man  thought 
she  was  a  jenuine  and  tried  to  give  her  a 
dollar  in  her  hand  but  she  explaned  no 
thank  you. 

The  janitor  played  he  \vas  Santa  Claus 
and  passed  the  presents  and  O  the  joy  and 
surprise  of  those  orfuns  most  paralized 
them.  I  gave  mine  a  doll  because  her 
sense  is  younger  than  she  is  and  it  seemed 
74 


The  Merry  Christmas  of  Giovanna 

as  if  she  couldn't  hug  it  enough  and  I  was 
glad. 

But  poor  little  Lizzie  looked  like  weeps 
and  said  to  Dolly  "Where  is  my  Mama 
and  Papa  like  you  promised?"  My  chum 
led  her  pretty  near  to  her  Uncle  and  Aunt 
where  they  sat  and  whispered  to  Lizzie 
which  they  were  and  ran  to  hide  behind 
the  tree.  Lizzie  stept  close  and  close  till 
Uncle  John  said  "Whose  little  girl  are 
you?"  and  she  answered  "I  am  yours, 
Papa,"  and  the  surprise  that  Uncle  had 
on  him  was  wonderful.  Aunt  Winnyfred 
spoke  "What  nonsents!  Run  to  your 
Mama,  child,"  but  she  answered  "You  are 
my  Mama." 

Uncle  John  looked  on  her  card  and  ex 
claimed  "O  that  Dolly!"  Aunt  Winny 
fred  explaned  to  Lizzie  how  she  did  not 
want  a  little  girl  and  all  was  mistake. 

Lizzie  got  that  kind  of  disapoint  which 
hurts  so  bad  you  don't  cry  the  first  min 
ute  and  they  thought  she  was  satisfied  but 

75 


The  Heart  of  on  Orphan 

she  fell  herself  down  on  the  floor  and  her 
grief  and  woe  were  dreadful  and  she  all 
times  talked  in  her  cry  "O  my  Papa  don't 
want  me!  O  my  Mama  don't  want  me!" 

Dol/y  ran  to  comfort  her  but  she  would 
take  no  comfort.  Aunt  Winnyfred  stood 
up  and  spoke,  "Let  us  go!  this  is  very 
painful!  Dolly  you  must  be  punished!" 
But  Uncle  John  answered  "Why  not  take 
her  along  and  look  her  over?  Anyway 
she  said  first  she  was  mine."  Aunt  Win 
nyfred  talked  back  "Just  because  you  sat 
on  that  side  so  she  came  first  to  you."  So 
Uncle  John  carried  her  but  Aunt  Winny 
fred  held  her  hand. 

The  little  candle  is  most  gone  and  so  is 
my  first  merry  Christmas  but  I  got  plenty 
of  merryness  this  time  to  catch  up  on  all 
I  missed  before. 

O  Mother  what  a  long  chain  you  started 
by  your  goodness  to  me.  The  Eggsloosif  s 
tied  some  more  to  that  chain  by  this  won 
derful  surprise  on  the  sylum;  Aunt  Win- 


The  Merry  Christmas  of  Giovanna 

nyf red  and  Uncle  John  made  another  piece 
to  adopt  Lizzie.  And  I  never  did  a  thing 
to  make  it  longer  but  perhaps  I  can  some 
day.  That  is  my  wish. 

I  have  just  one  more  minute  to  say 
Merry  Christmas  so  with  that  I  will  stop 
my  letter.  Merry  Christmas,  Mother! 
Merry  Christmas,  Isabella!  Merry 
Christmas,  orfuns!  Merry  Christmas, 
Eggsloosifs!  Merry  Christmas,  all  the 
people  in  the  big  world!  Merry  Christ 
mas,  dear  God  up  in  heaven ! 

Giovanna. 


77 


GIOV ANNA'S  ITALIAN 
RENAISSANCE 

71/TOTHER  of  my  Italian  heart  - 

Such  wonderful  bran  news  I  got  to 
day  for  you  and  me  to  be  glad  about — the 
teacher  spoke  it  right  out  to  all  the  class 
of  geography.  She  said  that  Dago  is  just 
the  disrespeckfull  for  Italian  and  she 
names  Italians  grand  and  wonderful  with 
songs  in  their  throats  and  pictures  in  their 
eyes  and  hands  to  make  statyous.  And 
Mr.  Columbus  who  discovered  America 
was  a  Dago!  So  Americans  needn't  feel 
set  up  over  us  because  where  would  they 
be  this  minute  if  he  never  had?  Besides 
they  are  all  named  after  Mr.  Amerigo, 
another  Italian  man  who  put  them  first 
on  any  map  or  they  must  have  got  omitted 

78 


Giovanna's  Italian  Renaissance 

out  of  the  geography  and  then  think  how 
mortifide  they  would  have  felt ! 

So  Mother,  it  is  not  mean  for  me  to  be 
Dago  and  need  not  put  shame  on  you  as 
I  always  supposed  it  must  indeed.  It  was 
my  guess  to  myself  you  had  hopes  to  erase 
all  my  Dago  part  in  this  school  except 
my  looks  which  are  very  brunetty  and  no 
powder  can  help  that  because  I  tried  and 
it  showed  on  top  of  my  brownness  like 
chalk  on  the  blackboard  and  the  Principal 
said  "Giovanna,  go  wash  your  face;  I  did 
not  believe  you  were  that  silly  kind  of 
girl."  So  I  cried  and  washed  hard  and 
threw  away  that  powder  box  awful  quick 
but  explained  not  to  the  Principal  because 
it  would  have  been  like  telling  a  secret 
of  yours  and  mine,  Mother,  to  explain  and 
I  never  did.  Now  you  don't  need  powder 
to  stay  on  me  any  more. 

O  Mother,  my  proudness  is  up  to  the 
top  of  the  highest  mountain  in  the  red 
atlas!  I  wish  I  could  go  and  tell  all  the 
79 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

folks  in  our  tenement  that  they  are  no 
more  Ginneys  but  very  grand  and  re- 
specktable  Italians  and  must  have  no  shame 
on  themselves  for  that  but  all  glad  and 
hawty. 

I  had  thoughts  of  asking  you  to  change 
my  name  to  Jane  but  now  I  rejoyce  to  be 
Your  Italian  daughter, 

Giovanna. 

Mother  of  my  Dago  heart, — 

There  was  a  reception  in  this  school 
today  very  grand  from  three  to  five.  O 
the  surprise  that  happened  on  me  right  in 
the  middle  of  this  reception!  If  I  gave 
you  1,000,000  guesses  and  3  more  you 
could  not  tell  who  came  and  not  invited, 
for  how  could  I  think  to  invite  rellytives 
never  seen  in  my  long  life  and  most  for 
gotten  and  also  believed  by  me  to  stay  in 
Italy  shaped  like  a  rubber  boot  and  washed 
by  many  seas? 

I  was  sitting  some  behind  a  screen  and 
80 


Giovanna's  Italian  Renaissance 

the  music  talked  of  you  and  my  love  as 
I  never  can  write  in  my  letters  because 
it  would  take  words  I  do  not  know.  I 
wore  my  new  pink  silk  which  is  that  kind 
to  try  to  stick  to  my  fingers  as  if  it  says 
it  likes  to  be  my  dress  and  the  best  beau 
tiful  sign  of  your  love. 

Dolly  came  and  pulled  me  by  the  hand 
to  the  window  quick  as  we  could  go  for  the 
many  ladies  not  to  step  our  feet  on  their 
elegant  trains.  There  stayed  Luigi  on  his 
wagon  full  of  oranges  and  bananas.  An 
Italian  woman  sat  by  him  not  his  wife 
for  I  know  her  looks  and  a  girl  about 
my  bigness.  Down  in  front  of  the  seat 
was  a  boy  not  so  big  and  another  girl  not 
so  big  as  the  boy  and  another  girl  with 
curls  not  so  big  as  that  girl  and  a  baby 
in  the  Italian  woman's  lap  which  she  gave 
Luigi  to  hold  while  she  clum  out  and  pulled 
down  all  the  rest  except  the  boy  who 
jumped  himself  off  and  stuff t  two  bananas 
in  his  shirt  not  seen  by  Luigi.  Then  Luigi 
81 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

pointed  with  his  whip  to  the  door  of  our 
school  and  drove  away  very  quick  like 
he  still  had  scares  on  that  teacher. 

Wrinkeldy  and  poor  was  the  Italian  lady 
with  a  little  square  shawl  on  her  head. 
The  girl  of  my  bigness  was  dressed  pretty 
but  curyous.  Her  black  velvet  corset  was 
on  top  of  her  white  waist.  She  wore  a  red 
skirt  and  an  apron  crost  by  many  stripes. 
The  toes  of  all  the  littler  ones  looked  out 
of  their  shoes  and  no  wraps  on  their  thin 
ness.  I  had  a  big  sorry  for  them  in  my 
heart. 

Then  Dolly  was  called  by  her  Mother 
to  play  a  piece  on  the  piano  for  some  person 
in  the  music  room. 

Very  soon  that  family  off  Luigi's  wagon 
stood  in  our  hall  and  all  stared  at  them 
like  they  were  brickyards  and  not 
people.  I  had  no  dream  who  they  could 
be,  but  Dago  must  ever  go  to  Dago  so  I 
went. 

When  I  walked  close  to  her  of  the  wrin- 
82 


Giovanna's  Italian  Renaissance 

keldy  face  and  little  shawl,  she  screecht 
"Giovanna!  Mia  cara!  Mia  cara!"  and 
hugged  me  long  long  in  her  arms  and 
many  times  kissed  my  cheeks  and  hugged 
me  more  and  more  and  tears  ran  down  in 
her  wrinkles. 

I  let  her  hug  and  kiss  me,  Mother,  but 
I  shook  and  shook  and  wished  not  to  be 
so  much  kissed  with  all  to  stare  and  stare 
as  they  done.  Nobody  hugs  like  that  in 
receptions  which  are  not  any  good  form 
place  for  jenuine  feelings  like  hers  but 
just  touch  your  fingers  and  talk  politeness. 
The  feelings  that  Italian  lady  had  on  me 
were  terrible  and  I  could  not  understand 
what  for  with  this  the  first  time  I  ever 
walked  in  her  sight. 

By  and  by  she  calmed  off  a  teeny  bit 
and  held  my  face  with  her  hands  and 
looked  and  looked  and  said  she  was  my 
Aunt  Maddalena. 

I  was  embearest  dreadful  and  sorry  to 
make  her  such  dizzypoint  but  I  begged 

83 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

her  please  excuse  me  not  to  be  her 
niece  and  her  not  to  be  my  Aunt  Mad- 
dalena. 

The  girl  of  my  bigness  had  eyes  black 
and  looks  proud  like  anything.  She  spoke 
American  but  slow  and  funny  and  full  of 
try  as  if  her  tongue  could  just  walk  and 
not  run. 

"Why  notta  your  Aunt  ?" 

I  answered  "It  is  the  true  that  my  Mama 
who  died  had  a  sister  named  Maddalena 
and  she  usto  tell  me  how  they  cried  and 
hugged  much  when  my  Mama  started  for 
America  in  the  big  ship,  but  this  lady 
never  can  be  my  Aunt." 

That  girl  asked  again,  "Why  notta  your 
Aunt?" 

I  explained  just  like  my  Mama  that  died 
usto  tell  me  plenty  of  times.  "My  Aunt 
Maddalena  is  so  beautiful  in  looks  that 
artiss  men  make  her  picture  with  many 
paints.  Nobody  in  her  village  can  dance 
the  tarantella  like  my  Aunt  Maddalena; 


Giovanna's  Italian  Renaissance 

any  person  will  travel  a  mile  and  be  glad 
to  see  the  steps  of  her  teeny  feet.  She 
wrote  a  letter  how  she  marrys  my  Uncle 
Nicolo  who  sings  long  songs  and  walks 
on  the  grapes  to  make  them  wine.  By 
and  by  she  wrote  another  letter  that  she 
has  a  baby  girl,  cousin  to  me  named 
Concetta.  Then  no  more  letters  or  else 
lost.  Now  you  understand  why  this  Ital 
ian  lady  is  all  mistake  and  no  Aunt." 

That  girl  spoke  again  awful  proud. 

"Little  fool!  Can  she  no  getta  old? 
When  young  she  was  moddle  for  artiss 
men  and  this  dress  I  wear  now  is  her 
moddle  dress  because  my  dress  gotta  the 
holes.  Your  Uncle  Nicolo  no  come  to 
day,  he  hunts  the  work.  You  think  that 
baby  girl  Concetta  no  getta  big  never  ?  I 
am  Concetta  and  this  is  your  Aunt  Madda- 
lena." 

Then  I  believed  she  spoke  the  true  and 
I  was  more  embearest  like  I  would  die 
with  all  my  thinks  tip  side  up  and  no 

8s 


chance  to  get  them  fixed.     My  voice  came 
out  of  me  little  and  funny. 

"I  am  very  pleased  to  meet  you." 
"Notta  so!"  said  Concetta  awfuller 
proud.  "You  no  wanta  us !  One  year  in 
America  we  look  look  ask  ask  for  you. 
Now  I  wish  we  never  hadda  found  you! 
You  gotta  the  shame  of  us  and  I  hate 
you!" 

I  did  not  answer  that  Concetta  but  I 
led  them  to  chairs  which  were  very  quick 
plenty  when  they  walked  near.  It  is  the 
rule  not  to  just  have  your  own  talk  with 
your  rellytives  at  a  reception  but  you  must 
make  presents  to  them  of  your  schoolmates. 
I  did  not  mind  that  rule,  Mother  because 
of  the  feelings  I  had  for  the  Exclusives 
to  look  on  my  cousins  so  wretcheddy  and 
my  Aunt  Maddalena  all  poor  and  wrin 
kled  up.  I  was  trying  to  swallow  down 
my  cry  when  our  dear  Principal  came  and 
saylooted  my  rellytives  fine  and  polite  as 
if  they  were  the  best  in  elegant  trains 
86 


Glovanna's  Italian  Renaissance 

instead  of  short  in  the  skirts  and  big  in 
the  shoes  as  my  Aunt,  only  Concetta  hid 
her  hands  under  her  apron  crost  by  many 
stripes.  What  sort  of  manners  was  that? 

The  boy  begged  me,  "Swipe  a  feller 
some  cake.  Say,  do  you  guys  have  ice 
cream?"  I  made  the  start  to  get  him 
some  but  Concetta  said,  "Notta  swipe — 
better  he  starve  first,"  so  I  sat  still  and 
swiped  not. 

I  wanted  to  make  good  from  talk  with 
my  rellytives  but  it  was  skarce  in  me. 
Pretty  soon  Concetta  said  to  her  Mother 
in  Italian  that  no  longer  must  they  put 
shame  on  Giovanna  with  her  grand 
friends  so  they  went  and  fine  riddants  to 
that  Concetta. 

O  Mother,  what  is  the  good  to  call  Ital 
ians  grand  and  wonderful  and  then  all 
to  stare  at  them  like  brickybacks  when 
they  stand  in  your  hall?  How  can  they 
have  that  glad  the  teacher  says  they  may 
for  the  songs  in  their  throats  and  the 

87 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

pictures  in  their  eyes  and  their  hands  to 
make  statyous  when  they  got  those 
scroochtdown  Dago  feelings  on  themselves 
(not  counting  Concetta)  and  you  got  the 
same  on  them  to  be  their  rellytives?  My 
Italian  proudness  is  all  spoiled. 

Your  unhappy 

Jane. 
Dearest  and  Best, — 

I  am  writing  to  you  in  my  cloak  and 
my  hat  is  still  on  my  head  because  my 
feelings  fizzed  and  fizzed  all  the  way  home 
from  the  call  on  my  Italian  rellytives  and 
will  not  stay  shut  up  in  me  one  more  min 
ute. 

All  days  I  felt  as  if  there  was  a  string 
on  my  soul  and  Aunt  Maddalena  was 
pulling  it  and  I  knew  Dago  must  go  to 
Dago.  The  Principal  said  a  teacher 
might  company  me  this  afternoon  which 
she  so  done. 

O  Mother,  rellytives  are  no  good  but  to 
make  grief  and  woe!  I  wish  mine  were 


Giovanna's  Italian  Renaissance 

back  in  Italy  like  a  rubber  boot  washed 
by  many  seas,  I  do  indeed.  No,  I  would 
save  out  Aunt  Maddalena  because  love 
is  sprouting  in  my  heart  for  her  and  how 
she  does  not  look  all  homely  as  at  first. 
And  the  baby  with  eyes  like  chockylet 
creams,  it  is  a  dear  baby.  Giuseppe  is  a 
newsy  and  newsys  are  ever  desprit  charac 
ters  and  usto  pull  my  braids,  but  Giuseppe 
has  not  done  it  yet  and  he  has  a  hello 
grin  on  him  so  you  got  to  like  him  any 
way  and  I  do  not  wish  away  my  cousin 
Giuseppe.  Marietta  next  to  Giuseppe  is 
very  good  and  quiet  and  pityful  to  be  so 
thin  and  pale  and  nobody  could  wish  her 
away.  Assunta  between  Marietta  and  the 
baby  has  long  black  curls  and  dimples,  and 
I  ached  to  hug  and  hug  her  but  I  never 
could  for  the  eyes  of  Concetta  kept  me 
all  friz  up  on  my  bench  so  I  sat  still  and 
hugged  not. 

Aunt  Maddalena  would  have  embrased 
me  the  same  as  at  the  reception  but  Con- 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

cetta  had  to  put  in  her  Italian  talk  "Have 
care,  little  Mother,  for  the  fine  clothes  of 
our  grand  lady  cousin." 

All  the  time  of  this  visit  I  felt  as  if 
my  heart  was  a  pincushion  and  every  word 
of  Cousin  Concetta  stuck  another  pin  in 
that  cushion  for  the  hate  she  got  against 
me.  She  asked  me  in  her  own  talk  why 
I  brought  that  teacher  to  show  her  how 
poor  they  live.  Was  it  not  enought  for 
me  to  know  it  myself  and  come  where  I 
was  wanted  by  nobody  ? 

They  are  terrible  poor,  Mother,  and  live 
way  upstairs  in  the  back  tennyment  with 
no  window  to  look  on  the  street  but  just 
at  clothes-lines  and  for  furniture  some  big 
and  little  benches  such  as  my  Uncle  could 
make  with  boards  loose  from  the  back 
fence  if  he  got  them  first  and  not  the 
neighbors  to  burn  and  a  little  old  busted 
stove  and  a  bed  very  ricketty  and  the 
plaster  to  fall  off  in  many  spots. 
90 


Giovanna's  Italian  Renaissance 

They  must  take  coats  home  to  finish  just 
for  some  cents  each  one.  Aunt  Madda- 
lena  sewed  like  crazy  and  Concetta  the 
same  hard  and  fierce  and  Marietta  pale 
and  pityful  must  sew  and  little  Assunta 
pulled  the  bastings  and  minded  the  baby. 
She  cried  to  go  sit  on  the  doorstep  and 
Aunt  Maddalena  shook  her,  not  for  mad 
but  because  tears  would  drop  on  that  coat 
of  fine  cloth  and  ruin  them  all. 

Uncle  Nicolo  is  a  man  of  ditches  in 
America  because  we  walk  not  on  our 
grapes  to  make  them  wine,  and  when  he 
cannot  get  ditches  to  dig  he  is  out  of  work 
which  is  dreadful  and  all  must  finish  more 
coats.  He  walked  in  at  the  door  and  I 
saw  him  for  the  first  time  ever.  He  bowed 
polite  to  the  teacher  and  me  and  shook  our 
hands.  He  did  not  laugh  nor  sing  long 
songs  nor  take  his  piccolo  out  of  his  pocket 
as  my  Mama  that  died  said  he  had  those 
habbits  but  sat  on  a  bench  with  his  head 

91 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

to  hang  down  in  front  and  his  hands  to 
fall  between  his  knees. 

The  teacher  spoke  with  him  very 
friendly  and  he  told  her  O  if  he  had  fifty 
$  to  buy  a  fruitstand  of  an  Italian  man 
who  must  take  his  poor  sick  wife  back  to 
Italy  to  die  in  the  arms  of  her  old  Mother, 
then  the  family  could  live  fine  and  not 
finish  the  coats.  After  telling  this  Uncle 
Nicolo  fell  back  into  his  sorry  thinks  and 
talked  no  more. 

Giuseppe  was  gone  to  sell  his  papers, 
the  teacher  could  not  speak  all  the  time 
about  nothing,  Aunt  Maddalena  in  Eng 
lish  can  only  smile  and  smile,  the  little 
girls  were  too  bashful  and  the  baby  too 
young  and  Uncle  Nicolo  too  sad  and  Con- 
cetta  too  mean  to  talk  so  nobody  did. 

By  and  by  Aunt  Maddalena  begged  me 

to  tell  of  my  Mama  that  died  and  all  our 

family,  but  I  have  lost  the  habbit  to  speak 

Italian  and  was  afraid  to  say  it  funny 

92 


Giovanna's  Italian  Renaissance 

and  full  of  mistakes  for  Cousin  Concetta 
to  laugh  so  I  answered  "Aunt  I  cannot." 

Then  Concetta  went  and  made  this  lie, 
"Little  Mother,  our  grand  lady  cousin  has 
forgot  she  was  ever  poor  like  us.  Do  not 
make  her  the  pain  to  remember." 

0  Mother,  that  was  mean  and  mean  and 
mean !     I  hated  Concetta  to  say  that  lie  of 
me,  so  I  begged  the  teacher  please  let  us 
go  and  we  went. 

1  will  never  go  back  to  see  them  any 
more — I'm  all  finished  up  with  them  for 
ever  and  forever  world  without  hen ! 

Goodbye  Aunt  Maddalena,  dear  Aunt 
no  more  ugly  but  good  and  sweet. 
Goodbye  Giuseppe  of  the  hello  grin. 
Goodbye  poor  little  Marietta  so  pityful. 
Goodbye  Assunta  with  the  Isabella  looks 
and  curls.  Goodbye  baby  of  the  big  eyes 
like  chockylet  creams.  Goodbye  Uncle 
Nicolo.  I  hope  you  get  plenty  of  ditches 
to  dig  and  can  buy  that  fruit  stand.  I 

93 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

do  indeed.  Goodbye  Cousin  Concetta 
with  your  manners  like  snow  to  freeze  me 
and  your  words  like  mustard  to  burn  me. 
Mother  darling,  I  feel  some  unfizzed  and 
I  just  have  time  to  put  away  my  hat  and 
coat  before  the  supper  bell. 

Goodbye  from 

Jane. 

Dear  Mother, 

Your  letter  hurt  fierce  and  awful  but  I 
guess  it's  what  the  Principal  calls  a  mer- 
ryted  reebuke.  You  say  you  have  no 
daughter  Jane  and  want  none  of  that  name 
if  my  last  letters  are  her  kind  to  write. 
You  tell  the  great  dizzypoint  you  got  in 
me  to  be  so  snubbish  and  your  surprise 
that  I  can  so  quick  forget  the  feelings  I 
usto  have  in  my  soul  when  the  Exclusives 
were  hawty  with  me  the  same.  O  how 
you  put  big  big  Selfish  on  me  to  fuss  all 
times  at  my  own  mortifide  and  not  con- 
sidder  the  mortifide  of  my  rellytives  at  the 

94 


Giovanna's  Italian  Renaissance 

reception  to  find  themselves  such  differ- 
ents.  In  the  call  also  you  feel  Scorn  for 
me  as  a  horrid  silly  Prig  not  to  talk  Italian 
with  my  dear  Aunt.  And  my  Mama  that 
died — how  dreadful  she  must  have  felt  to 
lean  over  in  her  Heavenly  seat  and  see  me 
act  like  that  to  her  used-to-be-beautiful  sis 
ter  and  I  guess  God  has  His  oppinion  of 
me  too. 

The  repentants  I  got  on  all  the  family 
is  big  as  a  house  but  it  don't  reach  to  my 
Cousin  Concetta — no  ma'am  it  .  don't ! 
Her  I  must  ever  hate  as  she  does  me  and 
she  made  its  start  when  I  never  did.  Last 
night  I  had  trouble  with  my  prayers  all 
on  account  of  her.  This  morning  when  I 
woke  I  felt  as  if  I  had  caught  meazles  in 
my  soul  for  my  thinks  of  her. 

Yes,  ma'am,  I  will  go  spend  the  whole 
Saturday  to  visit  those  rellytives  I  thought 
never  to  see  again  in  my  long  life  but 
Dago  must  go  to  Dago  and  that's  the  true. 
Yes,  ma'am,  I  will  help  finish  the  coats. 

95 


Yes,  Mother,  to  please  you,  I  will  love  that 
Cousin  of  my  bommynation  just  this  Sat 
urday,  since  you  say  that  on  Sunday  I  have 
your  permission  to  hate  her  again  if  I 
can't  help  it. 

This  is  your  first  time  to  scold  me, 
Mother,  and  it  felt  like  spanks  on  my  soul, 
but  O  you  put  such  love  and  forgiveness 
at  the  end  and  now  to  be  all  confessed  and 
promised  up,  why  I  feel  more  daughterish 
than  ever. 

Your  never-more  Jane 
But  always 

Giovanna. 

Mother  of  my  happy  love, — 

On  Saturday  morning  the  Principal  was 
to  shop  herself  a  new  dress  but  she  took 
me  first  to  the  house  of  my  Aunt.  They 
were  terribly  busy.  This  time  the  coats 
belonged  to  boys  and  all  must  sew  sew 
like  crazy  to  get  finished  that  day  for  the 


Giovanna's  Italian  Renaissance 

rent.  Poor  little  Marietta  most  fell  off  her 
bench  with  sleepy  because  all  had  sewed 
in  the  night.  Giuseppe  was  gone  to  sell 
his  papers  and  Uncle  Nicolo  to  hunt  his 
ditch  to  dig  with  little  hope  for  ditches  are 
scarce  and  many  beg  for  shovels. 

I  said  "Concetta,  today  I  love  you,  give 
me  a  coat  to  sew."  She  tost  her  head  and 
mocked  me  back.  "Very  kind  the  grand 
lady  Giovanna  to  love  her  poor  cousin  and 
sew  a  coat,  very  very  kind !  I  thank  you." 
I  did  not  get  any  mad  but  I  just  thought 
how  mad  I  would  be  tomorrow  for  her  to 
speak  that  way.  I  took  a  coat  to  finish 
off  the  pile  but  I  sewed  clear  through  and 
the  stitches  showed  and  Concetta  must  stop 
and  pull  them  out.  She  said  awful  cross 
"Thank  you,  fine  lady  Giovanna,  for  the 
splendid  help  which  will  put  us  back  three 
coats  to  get  over.  Why  don't  you  stay 
with  your  grand  friends  and  let  us  be?" 

I  was  much  mortifide  but  not  mad  today 

97 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

or  tomorrow  because  I  had  a  big  sorry  on 
myself  to  put  them  back  three  coats  by  my 
fault. 

When  it  was  dinner  time  Concetta  said 
"We  have  only  polenta  because  this  is  the 
day  of  the  rent.  I  fear  our  grand  Cousin 
will  starve." 

I  answered  "My  Mama  that  died  usto 
talk  of  polenta  how  good,  so  polenta  is 
all  right  with  me."  We  had  no  tablecloth, 
just  a  big  dish  of  polenta  which  is  corn 
pudding  made  out  of  mutton.  Giuseppe 
came  and  saylooted  me  with  his  hello  grin 
but  no  words.  O  Mother,  when  I  tasted 
that  polenta  I  thought  what  will  I  do  what 
will  I  do  not  to  offend  more  Concetta  be 
cause  so  fierce  I  did  not  like  it  that  scarcely 
could  my  swallow  act  and  besides  there 
was  not  plenty  for  all.  In  that  minute 
Giuseppe  winkt  his  eye  on  my  side  and  I 
slipt  my  share  to  him  under  the  table  which 
he  ate  with  much  joy  and  me  the  same  that 
he  should. 

98 


Giovanna's  Italian  Renaissance 

Very  quick  was  finished  the  polenta  be 
cause  it  was  not  much  and  all  must  hurry 
hurry  to  finish  more  coats.  I  begged  very 
humble  to  try  again  and  Concetta  let  me 
most  scornful  but  I  finished  one  all  right 
and  felt  proud  but  there  was  no  time  for 
proudness,  just  grab  another  and  another. 
At  first  it  was  like  play  to  try  to  get 
through  quick  as  the  rest  which  I  could 
not  for  even  Marietta  would  beat  me  by 
both  sleeves.  I  liked  to  wonder  what  was 
the  color  of  hair  now  growing  on  the  boy 
whose  Papa  would  buy  him  this  coat  but 
soon  no  more  because  I  got  a  little  ache 
in  my  back  which  spread  and  spread  and 
my  arms  ached  fierce  and  my  feet  got 
asleep  and  my  neck  full  of  cricks.  The 
black  color  would  come  off  on  my  hands 
to  make  them  horrid  and  ugly.  I  was 
hungry  like  I  would  starve  and  all  my 
bones  were  full  of  pains  but  I  had  shame 
to  stop  first,  so  it  was  grab  another  and 
another  till  it  seemed  as  if  I  had  to  sew 
99 


down  a  long  long  road  with  no  end  but 
just  coats  and  coats  until  I  died. 

O  Mother,  all  at  once  I  lost  my  Gio- 
vanna  feelings  and  caught  Concetta  feel 
ings  instead.  It  was  as  if  I  was  not  me 
but  her  all  poor  and  tired  and  ever  sew 
ing  and  hungry  and  sleepy  and  anksyus. 
I  could  see  me,  Giovanna,  sitting  there  in 
the  good  clothes  of  your  love  clean  and 
fed  up  and  lazy  and  smarty  and  selfish 
and  crittykle.  O  Mother,  I  hated  me  and 
not  her  so  fierce  that  I  cried  to  think  how 
mean  I  was  and  all  times  putting  it  on  her. 

Concetta  got  big  astonish  to  see  my  cry, 
but  said  real  sweet  as  I  never  knew  she 
could  "Notta  more  sew — you  tired,  no? 
You  stop  now." 

Then  I  tried  to  explain  and  we  all 
stopped  and  hugged  and  Concetta  em 
braced  me  most  of  all  and  said  I  \vas  not 
proud  and  hawty  like  she  thought  and  for 
me  to  forgive  and  I  hugged  back  most 
crazy  with  glad. 

100 


Giovanna's  Italian  Renaissance 

Uncle  Nicolo  came  in  and  Concetta 
begged  him  to  play  the  piccolo  so  they 
might  dance  to  sellybrate.  It  is  a  fine  fa 
ther  who  can  always  have  music  in  his 
pocket  that  his  children  may  dance.  I 
told  Uncle  Nicolo  how  my  Mama  that  died 
said  the  neighbors  called  him  Mr.  Piccolo 
instead  and  he  laughed  a  little  for  the  first 
time  in  America  I  guess  by  his  looks. 

Isn't  it  funny  that  my  feet  have  not  for 
got  the  tarantella  learned  from  my  Mama 
that  died  while  my  head  forgets  many 
capitals  of  States  in  vacation?  So  Con 
cetta  and  I  were  fine  in  love  and  danced  it 
to  each  other  like  our  Mothers  usto,  only 
Uncle  Nicolo  would  have  his  sad  thoughts 
again  and  forget  to  blow. 

The  Principal  stood  in  the  door  and 
Dolly  with  her  because  Dolly  had  met  her 
in  a  store  and  wanted  to  come.  They 
begged  and  begged  and  coaxed  and  coaxed 
until  Aunt  Maddalena  took  her  little  shoes 
out  of  a  chest  and  nobody  could  dance  the 
101 


TJie  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

tarantella  like  her.  She  looked  old  but 
danced  young  just  as  when  all  would  walk 
miles  to  see  the  steps  of  her  teeny  feet. 

O  Mother,  what  do  you  think  our  dear 
Principal  said — that  her  grand  wonderful 
actress  friend  who  visited  us  once  at  the 
school  wants  to  learn  the  tarantella  be 
cause  she  must  dance  it  in  a  play  named 
"Ibsen's  doll's  house"  and  nobody  could 
teach  her  to  do  it  like  my  Aunt  Maddalena 
and  the  actress  lady  will  pay  Aunt  Madda 
lena  plenty  of  money  to  be  taught.  In 
that  minute  I  got  back  my  Italian  proud- 
ness  to  think  of  that  way-way-up-to-the- 
sky  actress  lady  taking  lessons  off  my 
Aunt. 

O  and  Uncle  Nicolo  can  buy  that  fruit 
stand  and  he  was  so  glad  he  sang  a  long 
song  which  the  Principal  named  grand 
opera.  All  the  time  he  sang  Dolly  was 
scribbling  with  her  pencil  on  the  cuffs  of 
my  white  waist  but  not  so  anybody  would 
notice  her  much  and  then  she  whispered 
1 02 


Giovanna's  Italian  Renaissance 

to  me  "Don't  send  my  limmyricks  to  the 
laundry." 

Next  Uncle  Nicolo  played  like  he  would 
break  his  cheeks  and  we  all  danced. 
Even  the  Principal  made  some  whirls  with 
Marietta. 

We  parted  in  joy  and  now  I  am  home 
back  at  the  school  and  happy  happy !  And 
I  have  looked  in  Dolly's  closet  but  I  can't 
find  any  limmyricks  not  to  send  to  the 
laundry.  I  know  all  her  clothes  and  she 
never  said  she  wore  any  or  what  color. 

Here  is  the  poetry  off  my  left  cuff. 

"There  was  an  Aunt  Maddalena 
Whom  Giovanna  never  had  seena 
She's  wrinkled  and  old 
But  her  heart  is  fine  gold 
So  her  looks  don't  count  for  a  beana." 

Here  is  her  poetry  on  my  right  cuff. 

"There  was  a  proud  Cousin  Concetta 
Whose  eyes  were  black  as  the  jetta 
She  seemed  full  of  hate 
But  that's  all  a  mistake 
She's  so  darling  we're  glad  to  have  metta." 
103 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

That's  the  true  just  as  if  it  wasn't 
poetry,  but  all  the  rellytives  in  this  big 
world  dont  =  one  precious  darling  Mother 
always  first  in  the  heart  of 

Giovanna. 


104 


GIOVANNA'S  FIRST  REMEMBERS 

/JNGELICKAL  Mother  of  my  glory- 
0w,s  new  times, 

Such  a  hurry  I  got  to  put  my  first  re 
members  in  this  letter  because  to-mor 
row  we  girls  must  fix  them  in  composi 
tions  to  oblige  the  Chair  of  Professor 
Sighkology  who  lectured  to  us  in  Assem 
bly  and  I  cannot  make  secrets  with  that 
Chair  away  from  you  who  must  ever  be 
the  Queen  of  all  my  deepmost  thinks. 

A  senior  said  Professor  Sighkology's 
smile  was  Heavenly,  but  Dolly  answered  it 
was  so  impursynal  it  fell  down  between 
the  desks.  I  never  noticed  which  way 
flew  his  smile  for  wondering  what  sort 
of  magic  Chair  to  read  my  writing  and 
put  red  ink  on  top  of  my  mistakes.  I'd 
like  to  see  it  only  to  feel  that  Chair  staring 
105 


at  me  without  eyes  would  be  worse  than 
the  evil  eye  of  the  old  shoeman — I'll  tell 
about  him  when  I  get  to  his  spot  in  my 
letter. 

The  girls  are  Odearing  something 
dreadful  about  this  composition  (except 
Dolly  who  says  hers  will  then  be  ready 
for  her  byography)  but  they  don't  really 
mind — it's  just  their  Odear  habit. 
Boosted  up  here  as  I  am  by  your  love  and 
my  orphan  feelings  not  forgotten,  I  don't 
see  how  they  can  fuss  and  fuss  at  nothing, 
I  don't  indeed.  But  then  a  beggar  of  the 
street  might  peep  in  at  the  asylum  window 
and  hear  the  orphans  Odear  the  same  and 
say  "What  have  those  orphans  all  safe 
and  fed  got  to  Odear  about?"  and  won 
der  at  them  just  as  I  do  at  the  Exclusives 
of  this  school. 

No  other  girl  here  could  make  news  to 

her  mother  of  her  first  remembers  since 

they  had  them  together  which  we  never 

could  the  ones  I  got  now,  because  if  I  had 

1 06 


Giovanna's  First  Remembers 

been  your  daughter  from  the  beginning  all 
these  first  remembers  would  have  been  dif- 
erents.  Anyway  no  daughter  could  be 
long  any  fiercer  than  I  do  now,  could  they 
Mother?  My  days  are  trimmed  up  and 
deckorated  with  my  thinks  of  you.  And 
when  I  tell  you  these  remembers  we  will 
belong  some  more  for  you  to  know  all  that 
passed  with  me  in  my  years  before  I  sewed 
by  your  side  at  the  College  Settlement 
where  we  used  to  take  our  first  start  with 
each  other. 

And  even  if  we  didn't  begin  so  early  to 
belong,  I  hope  we  can  finish  up  together 
and  have  our  funerals  the  same  afternoon. 
Sometimes  I  get  scares  in  my  bed  to  won 
der  if,  you  being  older,  God  expects  you 
to  die  first,  but  please  live  to  be  an  aged 
lady  and  I  won't  mind  dying  some  young 
not  to  be  left  orphan  again. 

How  strange  that  Dolly  and  I  were 
babies  in  the  world  at  the  same  time  and 
her  with  a  nurse  of  white  cap  and  apron 
107 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

to  ride  her  in  the  Park  and  embroidery 
dresses  and  her  rattle  silver,  so  no  angel 
could  guess  she  would  ever  be  chums  with 
the  brown  tenement  baby  which  grew  up 
me.  And  you,  Precious  Mother,  were  in 
the  world  too  and  God  had  you  waiting 
for  me  like  a  grand  surprise  hid  way  back 
on  the  top  cubboard  shelf. 

Dolly  read  a  book  out  of  the  library  so 
her  composition  is  very  intelleckchewel. 
She  writes  about  her  infantyle  conceps  but 
they  were  too  much  style  for  a  Dago  tene 
ment  kid  so  I  am  very  sure  I  had  none. 

O  Mother,  wouldn't  it  be  fun  if  we  could 
remember  way  far  backer  than  we  can  and 
not  forget  how  it  feels  to  be  teeny  in  laps 
and  pull  hair  and  talk  guggy  guggy  ?  But 
no — we  must  grow  to  some  bigness  before 
memory  sprouts  in  us. 

Dolly's  earlyest  reckylection  is  shook  in 

church  for  badness  to  go  sit  on  the  pulpit 

steps  and  hug  and  kiss  her  new  hat  with 

the    minister    up    there    preaching    how 

1 08 


Giovanna's  First  Remembers 

wicked  is  vanity.  Can't  you  just  see  her 
looking  dear  and  cute  and  funny  like  any 
thing? 

I  will  tell  you  my  own  very  firstest  re 
member  I  got.  I  never  knew  there  was 
any  me  in  this  world  until  the  day  the 
saloon  burned  across  our  street.  All 
stands  in  my  head  just  like  a  picture  only 
myself  I  cannot  see  though  I  feel  I  am 
in  the  middle  of  it  and  little  to  hold  on  that 
way  to  the  back  of  the  chair  where  my  Papa 
lifted  me  up  to  look.  He  was  an  awful 
handsome  man  of  big  black  mustash.  I 
can  see  very  plain  my  Mama  that  died  and 
hear  her  prayers  of  scare  that  our  house 
would  not  burn  also.  All  the  front  of  that 
picture  is  blazing  fire  close  close  till  it 
seems  as  if  I  could  reach  it  with  my  hands. 
I  had  not  then  my  "dawn  of  conshus  fear" 
but  jumped  and  danced  on  the  chair  like 
a  little  crazy  with  joy  of  the  big  red  and 
yellow  flames. 

Dolly's  best  scare  was  on  a  ghost  which 
109 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

never  skooted  in  at  the  window  all  white 
with  eyes  green  and  ringing  its  hands 
and  moaning  fierce  to  fly  her  off  into  the 
dark,  but  of  nights  she  lay  on  her  little  bed 
expecting  and  expecting  that  ghost  which 
the  nurse  said  would  come  if  she  did  not 
go  quick  to  sleep,  and  she  could  not  for 
scare  of  the  ghost.  It  was  all  just  a 
wicked  lie  of  that  nurse  so  she  could  run 
talk  with  her  bow  over  the  fence. 

My  first  afraid  was  on  that  old  Dago 
shoeman.  He  pozest  the  evil  eye  and  al 
ways  plenty  of  work  because  the  neighbors 
had  scares  of  what  would  fall  on  them  if 
another  should  mend  their  shoes.  He  sat 
close  to  the  door  in  his  little  shop  where  I 
must  pass  on  errands  to  the  grocery.  My 
Mama  that  died  hung  a  charm  about  my 
neck  to  keep  off  his  bad  looks;  also  she 
showed  me  how  to  make  horns  with  my 
hand  but  I  must  hold  my  horny  hand  at 
my  back  for  politeness.  With  the  charm 
and  horns  I  felt  safe  when  I  was  in  the 
no 


'  I  must  hold  my  horny  hand  at  my  back  for  politeness  " 

Page  110 


Giovanna's  First  Remembers 

house  just  going  to  start,  but  soon  as  I 
heard  his  hammer  tinky  tinky  I  would  go 
slow  and  slow  grabbing  my  charm  and 
making  my  horns  and  shake  and  shake 
and  whisper  little  prayers  and  creep  soft 
on  my  tippy  toes  till  I  was  half  past  and 
then  run  like  crazyness. 

Dolly  says  her  scare  was  worse  than 
mine  because  the  old  shoeman  stayed  in 
his  shop  and  didn't  go  flopping  round  into 
windows.  I  told  her  but  he  was  really  in 
the  world  and  the  ghost  was  not,  and  she 
answers  that's  the  eyedentickle  reason  for 
the  ghost  to  be  worst. 

I  never  dreamed  that  richness  living  up 
stairs  and  downstairs  in  its  house  could 
think  of  anything  to  want  and  not  get  it 
and  there  Dolly  and  I  had  the  same  wish 
which  was  a  new  baby  in  the  family,  girl 
for  choice.  Poorness  got  waited  on  up  in 
Heaven  and  richness  didn't,  so  my  going- 
to-be-chum  Dolly  had  to  stay  an  only  like 
she  was. 

in 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

I  wish  she  could  have  had  hers  too. 
She  needed  it  worse  than  me  because  I 
was  not  quite  an  only  on  account  of  Tony. 
I  never  noticed  when  he  came.  He  was  in 
our  house  not  so  big  as  I  when  I  first 
thought  about  him.  He  was  too  big 
though  to  make  a  good  baby  and  wouldn't 
play  it  anyway.  All  the  girls  my  size  on 
the  tenement  doorstep  had  babies  to  tend, 
so  it  was  no  good  form  to  be  without  and 
I  must  ever  play  old  maid  which  is  very 
stupid  with  no  children  to  lick.  It  was 
only  nice  when  the  hand  organ  would  come 
to  our  block  because  a  baby  is  awful  heavy 
to  dance  with  for  several  tunes  while  an 
old  maid  can  dance  all  tunes  very  free  and 
glad. 

My  best  friend  was  named  Katy.  She 
was  proud  to  be  Irish  and  no  Dago.  Her 
father  was  a  man  of  pollyticks  who  could 
shake  hands  with  the  alderman  just  when 
ever  he  pleased,  and  the  alderman  got  him 
112 


Giovanna's  First  Remembers 

a  job  to  sweep  the  dirt  of  the  streets  into  a 
great  big*  dustpan  with  a  long  handle. 
Katy  was  so  haughty  for  that  she  would 
not  be  much  friends  with  Dago  kids  but 
with  me  yes,  because  we  had  the  other 
front  tenement  to  look  on  the  street  and 
lived  in  good  style  with  always  something 
to  pawn  when  there  was  not  money  enough 
for  the  rent.  So  she  liked  me  at  home 
but  not  at  school — there  she  walked  at 
recess  with  her  arms  around  the  Irish  and 
not  me.  But  after  school  she  was  my 
friend  again  and  said  the  rest  in  our  tene 
ment  were  ginneys  and  could  not  sit  on 
the  top  step  along  with  us. 

One  day  when  Katy  got  home  from 
school  she  found  a  bran  new  baby  in  her 
house  and  she  was  stucker  up  than  ever 
because  it  was  a  sister  which  is  more  styl 
ish  than  brothers  and  it  was  blonde  white 
with  teeny  gold  curls  like  no  other  baby  in 
that  tenement.  I  was  its  old  maid  Aunt 


The  PI  cart  of  an  Orphan 

and  must  hold  it  most  all  the  time  while 
Katy  was  busy  chasing  kids  off  the  top 
step. 

I  loved  Katy's  baby  so  fierce  I  had  most 
forgotten  to  want  one  of  my  own  when 
Isabella  came  in  the  night  and  the  next 
morning  I  heard  her  cry  in  Mama's  bed 
and  was  crazy  glad  and  ran  to  look  but 
such  a  dizzypoint  fell  on  me  for  her  to  be 
little  and  red  and  blackfuzzy  and  Katy's 
baby  so  beautiful.  O  Mother,  I  write  this 
with  red  shame  on  my  cheeks  to  think  of 
me  so  mean  and  wicked  but  I  must  tell 
you  all  even  if  it  makes  you  have  a  black 
spot  of  dispizement  for  me  in  your  soul 
/  tried  to  trade  babies  with  Katy!  I  of 
fered  her  all  my  hair  ribbons  and  my  red 
beads  and  even  my  badeye  charm  but  she 
said  not  on  her  sweet  life  for  mine  was 
the  common  Dago  kind  so  if  you  dropped 
her  on  the  steps  you  couldn't  tell  again 
which  one  she  was  and  so  little  I  would  be 
getting  ten  pounds  more  baby. 
114 


Giovanna's  First  Remembers 

God  was  good  to  me  as  I  never  deserved 
not  to  let  her  trade  since  her  baby  died  and 
I  would  have  been  left  without  any  little 
sister  and  serve  me  right  for  my  evil  heart 
I  saw  that  dear  baby  just  the  day  before 
in  Katy's  house  and  I  thought  it  not  to  be 
sick  as  they  said  with  its  cheeks  so  pink, 
but  the  next  tomorrow  it  was  dead.  The 
Chairs  asks  which  is  your  beautifullest  re 
member  and  that  is  mine — Katy's  baby  ly 
ing  on  the  table  among  its  candles,  its  face 
all  over  clean  at  once  and  dressed  in  white 
embroidery  like  richness.  It  seemed  as  if 
it  must  wake  up  in  surprise  and  reach  for 
those  teeny  blue  shoes  such  as  it  never 
dreamed  on  itself.  The  look  on  its  face 
was  just  as  though  an  angel  was  whisper 
ing  creepymouse  in  its  ear.  I  cried  more 
than  Katy  which  she  said  was  no  fair  and 
I  kissed  many  times  its  little  hands  like 
cold  snow.  They  took  it  away  with  grand 
style  and  much  weeps  out  loud  and  three 
carriages  and  a  white  hurse  and  a  bouquet 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

of  genuine  flowers  bigger  than  it,  a  pres 
ent  from  the  alderman  which  must  have 
cost  plenty. 

Isabella  had  grown  some  bigger  by  that 
time  and  her  curls  had  started  only  they 
were  still  black  and  not  gold.  When  the 
funeral  proceshun  was  gone,  I  went  again 
upstairs  and  hugged  her  not  to  be  dead  and 
cold  and  whispered  did  she  forgive  her 
wicked  sister  to  try  to  trade  and  she  gug 
gled  "yes"  and  I  cried  some  more  into  her 
apron  for  my  little  Irish  niece  deadngone 
to  the  semitary. 

Katy  returned  from  her  funeral  very  sad 
and  hawty.  I  offered  her  Isabella  to  hold 
for  comfort  but  she  sobbed  "no,  thanks, 
her  own  or  none"  and  she  let  everybody 
sit  by  her  side  on  the  top  step.  I  saw  by 
such  politeness  her  heart  to  be  broke  in- 
tirely  as  she  said  it  was. 

Katy's  family  moved  away  pretty  soon 
because  the  alderman  fixed  her  Papa  with 
a  better  job  to  drive  a  big  sweep-the-streets 
116 


Giovanna's  First  Remembers 

machine  of  nights  and  they  went  to  a  grand 
Irish  tenement  with  a  bathtub  and  foldup 
bed  in  the  parlor  glorybe. 

I  truly  love  this  school,  Mother,  but  not 
more  than  I  loved  the  First-Grade  in  that 
time.  It  was  fine  to  be  the  monitor  to  all 
the  pencils  in  my  row  and  the  teacher's 
petticoat  rustled  grand  and  silken  down 
the  aisle  and  her  smile  was  hardly  ever 
off  her  face — just  when  some  boy  was 
mean.  My  hand  would  most  wave  itself 
broke  to  say  the  words  on  the  blackboard 
and  I  loved  to  sing 

"Twenty  froggy s  went  to  school 
Down  beside  the  Russhen  pool." 

I  went  home  different  ways  to  find  that 
pool  but  none  on  our  block  was  Russhen, 
just  all  Dago  with  men  hitting  little  balls 
and  no  froggys  to  see. 

You  must  have  been  the  Dolly  kind  of 
little  girl,  Mother  and  O  so  fine  and  won 
derful!     Please  please  write  your  youth- 
117 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

fullest  rememberants  to  me  in  your  next 
precious  letter.  My  Mama  that  died  used 
to  tell  me  about  when  she  was  a  little  girl 
in  Italy.  She  would  get  glad  to  talk  of 
Italy — how  it  is  warm,  fresh  and  light, 
the  neighbors  sing  like  the  fountins;  fig 
and  olive  trees  grow  thick  there  as  the  gar- 
bige  cans  of  America.  We  would  dance 
the  tarantella  very  happy  but  pretty  soon 
it  would  make  worse  her  cough  and  then 
she  would  cry  and  say  how  cold,  sad,  dark 
and  ugly  is  this  country  and  all  times  like 
Good  Friday.  She  was  a  very  good  kind 
of  Mama  and  where  she  was  that  place 
seemed  ever  sweet  and  shiney  unto  me. 

The  curious  chair  wants  to  know  how 
we  made  our  first  start  to  feel  grownup. 
Dolly  says  her  shoes  keep  climbing  higher 
and  higher  up  her  ankels  and  her  skirts 
keep  falling  down  lower  and  lower. 
When  they  meet  she  will  be  a  young  lady. 

I  must  have  stayed  kiddish  forever  to 
wait  for  that  because  my  dresses  not  like 
118  ' 


Giovanna's  First  Remembers 

Dolly's  would  get  shrinker  and  shrinker 
and  my  legs  would  grow  longer  and  longer 
so  my  shoes  and  skirts  must  get  more 
apart  for  boys  at  school  to  holler  "broom 
sticks!  broomsticks!"  as  I  hated  them  to 
so  holler. 

I  guess  my  grownup  feelings  sprouted  in 
me  one  tragicky  winter  full  of  woe  when 
Papa's  fruit  would  freeze  and  freeze  and 
lose  him  plenty  of  money  and  we  got  all 
pawned  out  and  had  to  move  back  into  an 
old  behind  tenement  very  dark  and  cold 
so  I  was  glad  Katy  was  gone  not  to  see. 
The  cough  of  my  Mama  that  died  got  aw 
ful  worse  and  no  fire  seemed  to  warm  us 
with  the  little  coal  we  had  and  Tony  sat 
by  the  stove  and  wouldn't  play  anything 
but  lame  boy  and  his  knee  was  bad  but  he 
never  said  it  was  real — only  his  play.  It 
was  a  good  thing  I  was  eight  that  birthday 
to  do  the  work.  My  Papa  fixed  a  box 
by  the  stove  and  a  box  by  the  cubboard  so 
I  could  reach  and  also  put  our  tub  on  to 
119 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

wash,  only  Isabella  always  tried  to  fall  in 
that  tub  and  be  drounded.  I  had  no  time 
for  doorsteps  and  anyway  it  was  too  cold. 

The  walk-in  districk  nurse  came  every 
day  to  put  a  new  bandige  on  Tony's  knee 
and  fix  Mama  what  comfy  she  could.  One 
morning  I  put  Mama  and  Tony's  break 
fast  on  the  box  by  the  stove  while  I  filled 
the  teakettle  and  Tony  never  noticed  and 
put  his  foot  in  it  and  I  slapped  him — my 
poor  little  lame  brother  with  a  bandige  on 
his  knee !  O  Mother,  when  he  was  awful 
sicker  in  the  hospital  I  begged  him  to  slap 
me  back  but  he  wouldn't,  so  that  slap  I 
put  on  Tony  must  stay  on  me  till  I  die. 

And  I  can't  have  the  delishus  dinner  I 
got  now  in  a  basket  and  take  it  to  Mama 
and  Tony  to  make  them  glad.  When 
persons  are  in  some  other  place  perhaps 
you  can  get  there  to  walk  enough,  but  you 
cannot  walk  to  them  in  a  new  time  after 
theirs  is  all  past  and  finished  up. 

I  know  that  winter  was  when  I  got  the 
1 20 


Giovanna's  First  Remembers 

habit  of  growing  up  for  the  nurse  to  say 
as  she  did  "you  poor  little  old  woman !" 

Then  one  day  very  sudden  it  was  spring 
and  warm  by  the  sun  and  some  grass  trying 
to  grow  itself  in  a  crack  of  the  sidewalk 
and  Tony  went  outdoors  with  his  new 
crutch.  That  day  the  walk-in  nurse  helped 
me  like  a  sick  one  into  a  pink  dress  terrible 
short  with  a  big  spot  where  Isabella  spillt 
her  mackyrony  on  me  but  the  best  I  had. 
She  led  me  to  a  beautiful  house  like  no 
tenement  because  its  rooms  had  not  beds 
or  stoves  but  pictures  and  prettys  and 
many  parlors  which  must  be  bigger  and 
grander  than  the  glorybe  parlor  of  Katy. 
Some  children  were  firing  little  pillows  full 
of  beans  at  a  hole — so  silly  I  thought  and 
beans  good  to  eat. 

Then  the  walk-in  nurse  opened  a  door 
and  that  was  the  door  to  all  my  joy.  Many 
girls  sewed  in  a  club  and  one  hollered  very 
mean  "I  know  her — that's  Giovanna  Long- 
legs,"  and  all  laughed.  My  wish  was  to 

121 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

cry  and  run  home,  but  O  the  wonder fulest 
enchantingest  lady  which  was  you  hugged 
me  with  your  arm  and  put  shame  on  those 
girls  and  asked  me  did  I  want  to  sew  doll 
rags?  I  was  embearest  dreadful  but  an 
swered  "no,  please  I  am  too  old."  Your 
smile  was  truly  Heavenly  as  you  gave  me 
a  dress  to  make  for  Isabella  and  put  me 
close  by  your  side.  That  was  the  day  my 
love  for  you  got  planted  in  the  ground  of 
my  heart. 

But,  Mother,  I  could  not  have  sat  there 
and  sewed  so  happy  if  I  had  known  God 
was  planning  all  those  funerals  for  our 
family.  And  if  any  angel  had  whispered 
in  your  ear  that  day  how  the  funny  little 
new  Dago  kid  of  the  long  legs  would  get 
to  be  your  ownest  ownest  daughter,  I 
think  you  would  have  told  that  angel 
"Guess  again  and  don't  be  abzurd !" 

Now  in  this  letter  you  got  me  from  the 
start  and  I  am  for  keeps  and  keeps  and 
keeps  Your  Giovanna. 

122 


GIOVANNA  AS  THE  WRONG 
PRINCESS 

/JDORABLEST  Mother, 

My  times  in  this  school  get  better 
and  better  and  now  my  tiptopest  joy  of  all 
is  that  I  am  to  act  in  a  real  play.  The 
Principal  divided  us  girls  into  program 
groops  and  my  Dolly  chum  is  writing  O  a 
gorjous  drama  just  out  of  her  own  thinks 
for  our  groop  to  give  next  month. 

First  Dolly  read  a  book  from  the  library 
how  to  make  plays,  but  that  book  only  gave 
her  much  discurage  and  her  head  to  ache 
therefore  she  decided  younity  and  atmos- 
phear  are  too  much  style  for  a  school  play 
and  not  to  have  them  in  hers.  So  she 
writes  it  absolootly  by  inspuration  same  as 
poetry  only  worse  for  long  and  often  which 
is  terrible.  That  inspuration  falls  on  her 
123 


in  the  middle  of  nights  and  just  in  front 
of  dessert  and  once  when  climbing  the 
trapeeze  so  she  lost  her  hold,  but  on  the 
floor  stayed  her  play  notebook  and  when 
the  gym  teacher  came  running  to  see  how 
bad  she  was  hurt,  there  she  lay  to  scribble, 
scribble  like  crazy  and  never  knew  her 
bumps  until  they  turned  their  bumpy  color. 
O  Mother,  how  wonderful  is  genius ! 

The  Age  of  Dolly's  play  is  Middle  be 
cause  then  all  persons  wore  costumes  in 
stead  of  clothes  and  were  romantic  every 
minute.  Dolly  adores  romance  which  it 
is  her  grief  and  woe  to  be  now  so  scarce 
and  most  extinkt.  The  Principal  likes 
that  time  because  petticoats  were  good 
form  for  gentlemen,  so  the  King  girl  can 
be  real  modish  in  a  red  kimono  trimmed  by 
bands  of  cotton  decorated  with  ink  blots, 
and  the  other  mail  characters  will  keep  on 
their  long  cloaks  so  their  gym  suits  won't 
show. 

Dolly  can't  dyvulge  the  plot  yet  because 
124 


Giovanna  as  the  Wrong  Princess 

the  characters  are  so  opstreperus  that 
whatever  she  writes  them  to  do  they  fuss 
back  at  her  to  fix  it  all  different.  She 
says  that's  because,  being  the  children  of 
her  brains,  they  must  take  after  her  in  tem- 
perment.  But  we  girls  coaxed  and  teased 
her  most  crazy  till  she  consented  to  give 
us  just  an  introduckshun  no  more  to  those 
desperit  tempermental  characters. 

Dolly  will  act  the  Right  Princess  as  the 
playwrite  must  ever  be  leading  lady  or  no 
fair,  and  I  am  the  Wrong  Princess  which 
is  the  next  best  part  for  being  her  chum. 
The  rest  are  the  King,  Queen,  Noble, 
Prince  of  the  Long  Feather,  Cruel  Jailer, 
Wicked  Witch,  and  four  Hop-livelys  who 
must  be  sometimes  pezzents  (which  means 
not  birds  but  the  poor  and  humble  obliged 
to  dust  with  their  aprons  the  chairs  of 
nobility)  sometimes  kitchen  sculpins  and 
sometimes  pop-up  ghosts. 

Dolly  says  the  Wrong  Princess  gets 
taken  for  the  real  kind  at  first  but  by  and 
125 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

by  she  is  expozed  and  found  out  to  be  noth 
ing  but  a  half  orphan  of  the  Wicked  Witch. 
Already  I  love  my  part  because  to  be  any 
princess  whatsoever  will  be  magnificent 
like  I  never  dreamed.  I  try  hard  with  my 
manners,  Mother,  I  do  indeed,  but  they 
are  not  the  teeniest  bit  enough  good  for 
even  the  wrong  kind  of  princess.  I  must 
just  watch  them  now  like  cats  and  mice 
not  to  put  shame  on  you  by  the  rudeness  of 
my  princess  ways.  But  the  half  orphan 
piece  of  my  part  I  guess  I  will  understand 
to  act  as  some  girl  of  two  parents  might 
not. 

I  knew  a  little  girl  in  another  dormitory 
of  our  asylum  who  was  fairy  once  at  a 
genuine  theater  and  she  told  how  in  a  play 
you  are  always  fine  and  wonderful  like 
makebelieve  come  true  only  she  always 
wished  it  wouldn't  be  over  so  dreadful 
quick. 

O  Mother,  I  go  upstairs  and  downstairs 
in  all  the  rooms  of  this  school  so  happy  to 
126 


Giovanna  as  the  Wrong  Princess 

think  on  my  character  in  Dolly's  drama 
that  scarcely  can  my  feet  walk  and  not 
skippity  skippity  as  would  be  no  proper 
princess  manners.  I  love  Dolly  more  than 
I  ever  did,  which  was  lots  already,  to  see 
her  write  in  her  play  notebook  those  good 
grand  words  for  me  to  speak.  It  is  diffy- 
cult  not  to  feel  haughty  when  I  think  that 
a  backward  like  me  has  genius  for  her 
chum. 

Your  joyful-up-to-the-sky 

Wrong  Princess. 

0  Mother  Dear  and  Only  Comfort, 

I  most  wish  I  was  an  old  old  lady  dead 
in  my  peaceful  grave  so  Dolly  would  get 
repentants  on  herself  for  her  perfiddy  and 
she  calls  perfiddy  on  me  the  same  when  I 
perfidded  nothing  and  she  all.  Now  we 
are  no  more  chums  and  never  can  be  in  our 
long  lives. 

Dolly  had  promised,  when  the  play  was 
finished  up,  to  read  it  first  to  me  like  a 
127 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

secret,  so  last  night  after  supper  I  ran  with 
her  very  happy  to  our  room,  and  O  dear! 
O  dear!  how  I  wish  that  inspuration  had 
never  dropped  on  her.  When  she  began 
to  read  we  were  the  lovingest  friends  and 
when  she  stopped  we  were  the  hatingest 
enemies. 

The  play  makes  its  start  with  the  King 
and  Queen  discovered  on  top  of  their 
thrones  talking  about  their  believed-to-be 
child,  the  Wrong  Princess — how  vile  and 
evil  is  her  dishpishum  and  how  dark  her 
looks — just  like  me.  Her  name  is  Zee- 
rooty  as  any  girl  so  wicked  must  have  her 
name  spelled  with  Z  to  hiss  like  the  snakes 
in  her  black  heart. 

The  King  says  "Adzooks!  cheer  up, 
Mrs.  Queen.  This  is  the  day  the  Noble 
Prince  of  the  Long  Feather  conies  to  be 
her  sooter.  He  will  marry  her  away  from 
us  and  good  riddants  to  our  Zeerooty." 
The  Queen  has  scares  the  Noble  Prince 
128 


Giovanna  as  the  Wrong  Princess 

won't  like  the  blackness  and  tempers  of 
Zeerooty  and  says  weddings  in  the  dark 
are  real  stylish  among  her  set,  but  the  king 
only  zooks  some  more. 

Dolly  must  read  hard  and  fast  to  finish 
before  the  electric  light  would  go  off, 
so  she  never  looked  at  me  to  know  the 
feelings  sprouting  in  my  soul.  I  kept  my 
self  still  and  spoke  not  with  hopes  the  King 
and  Queen  were  some  mistaken  and  me  not 
to  be  so  mean  as  their  thinks. 

Then  in  the  play  a  Hop-lively  announces 
the  Noble  Prince  of  the  Long  Feather  who 
enters  the  stage  followed  by  the  other  three 
Hop-livelys.  When  all  finish  their  polite 
ness,  that  Zeerooty  comes  along  tagged 
by  Dolly  dressed  in  her  white  silk  with  a 
big  black  patch  basted  on  its  front  breath 
to  show  how  poor  and  dispized  she  is  be 
cause  believed  to  be  just  the  child  of  the 
Wicked  Witch  and  given  to  Zeerooty  for 
a  sort  of  slave  since  the  Witch  has  got 
129 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

everybody  spelled  so  they  don't  know  that 
Zeerooty  is  her  own  black  brat  and  Dolly 
the  Right  Princess. 

Zeerooty  never  notices  the  Prince  and  all 
those  Hop-livelys  though  I  don't  see  how 
she  can  help  it  and  not  be  blind.  She 
saucys  her  Mama  Queen  and  kicks  her 
Papa  King  on  his  foot.  Then  she  dis 
covers  the  Prince  and  has  much  astonish 
for  that.  She  likes  him  fine  and  her  man 
ners  are  quick  honeytaffy.  She  puts  out 
her  hand  for  him  to  kiss  like  she  is  the  sun 
flower  of  the  world,  but  scarcely  can  the 
Prince  kiss  that  hand  for  his  looks  of  love 
on  Dolly. 

Zeerooty  perceeves  those  looks  and  goes 
back  to  acting  like  scandles.  She  throws 
her  gloves,  hat,  and  hanky  on  the  floor  for 
Dolly  to  pick  them  up  and  slaps  her  on  the 
cheek. 

O  that  slap  was  the  worst  ever  to  go 
from  me  to  Dolly  in  her  drama !  It  is  the 
true,  Mother,  I  slapped  Dolly  my  first  day 
130 


Giovanna  as  the  Wrong  Princess 

in  this  school  because  I  spilled  the  gravy 
on  her  and  she  put  the  name  goosey  to 
you  for  thinking  I  could  get  made  into  a 
lady.  But  that  is  so  long  past  and  see  how 
we  have  been  chums  ever  since  the  girls 
took  the  tayboo  off  me  and  now  for  her 
to  go  put  that  slap  in  her  play  when  I 
thought  it  all  forgiven  up — O  Mother,  it 
hurt  so  bad  I  couldn't  even  speak  that  first 
minute  like  once  when  I  caught  my  finger 
in  the  door. 

When  Dolly  read  on,  our  electric  study 
lamp  went  to  bobbing  itself  round  in  funny 
ways  and  throwing  out  long  strings  of 
light  into  my  eyes. 

In  the  second  act,  Dolly  is  discovered 
dusting  and  dusting  those  thrones  and  the 
Prince  tells  her  how  sweetysweet  she  is 
and  that  Zeerooty  so  bominable  which  is 
the  true — I  could  put  no  blame  on  him  for 
that.  He  wants  to  marry  Dolly  instead  of 
me  and  her  young  heart  beats  for  him 
alone.  Then  I,  which  is  Zeerooty  come  on 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

and  catch  them  in  their  actions.  I  stamp 
and  yell  so  fierce  all  the  court  rush  there 
with  scares  of  fire.  Zeerooty  demands  to 
have  the  Noble  Prince  boiled  in  oil  with 
chilly  sauce,  mean  old  thing  that  I  am! 
The  King  answers  boiling  a  guest  would 
be  inhospittable  and  no  good  form  and 
make  war  with  his  parents  but  to  our  low 
est  dunjun  let  him  go  until  he  can  love 
Zeerooty  and  he  is  hailed  off  by  the  Cruel 
Jailor  while  Dolly  weeps  into  her  hanky. 

After  that  things  are  truly  awfuller  than 
they  can  be  Dolly  tries  to  rescew  the  Noble 
Prince  and  gets  caught  and  dunjuned  her 
self  by  the  cruel  Jailer,  so  it  looks  like  all 
is  over  with  the  lovery  pair.  But  the 
Cruel  Jailer  gets  a  tender  spot  in  his  tough 
breast  and  the  Wicked  Witch  falls  into  her 
own  kettle  and  then  her  spells  don't  work 
and  Zeerooty  is  found  out  to  be  the  Wrong 
Princess  and  Dolly  the  Right  One.  Dolly 
is  let  to  marry  the  Noble  Prince  of  the 
Long  Feather  and  Zeerooty  is  put  out  the 
132 


Giovanna  as  the  Wrong  Princess 

castle  gate  scratching  firce  all  the  Hop- 
lively  s  who  got  the  job  to  reject  her  and 
screeching  swears  of  "Zounds !  Zounds !" 
like  the  cat  vickson  she  is  to  the  last  and 
no  lady! 

When  she  finished  reading,  my  used-to- 
be  chum  actually  asked  if  my  part  wasn't 
just  grand  ?  I  felt  as  a  volcano  when  it  is 
volcanoizing.  I  told  her  my  opinion  of 
that  despizable  old  black  snubbish  Zeerooty 
mean  as  mud.  I  asked  her  what  sort  of 
mad  she  had  kept  hid  away  in  her  heart  all 
our  months  of  being  chums  that  she  could 
make  me  such  a  part  to  slap  Dollys  in  her 
play  and  saucy  mothers  and  kick  fathers 
and  boil  princes  like  a  cannible  heathen  ? 

Dolly  just  laughed  and  said  Zeerooty 
was  dandy  and  a  real  actress  would  know 
her  for  a  splendid  part. 

I  answered  I  was  awear  that  while  I 
might  be  Dago  black  and  lean  like  broom 
sticks  and  used  to  be  a  slapper  when  I 
came,  I  was  one  no  more  but  had  learned 
133 


better  in  this  school  where  my  Mother  put 
me  for  such  manners  not  to  stay  on  me  any 
more  as  the  manners  of  that  Zeerooty 
whom  I  hated  and  detested  and  bominated 
like  a  poison  weed  and  never  would  I  play 
myself  to  be  her ! 

Then  Dolly  got  mad  at  me  like  I  already 
was  at  her,  only  she  had  no  cause  as  she 
can  ask  her  consceince  and  let  it  tell  her 
what  she  did  first  to  me — not  counting  that 
way-back  slap. 

Dolly  exclaimed  that  genius  never  gets 
its  dews  this  side  of  the  silentomb,  so  she 
don't  expect  it,  but  to  think  I  could  take 
such  an  ignoranty  pursonal  view  of  Zee- 
rooty.  She  asked  if  after  she  wrote  spe 
cial  for  me  that  almost  starry  part  did  I 
really  refuse  to  be  it? 

I  answered  "Yes,  I  refuse  forever  and 
ever  and  all  the  time  after  that  to  be  Zee- 
rooty."  Dolly  said  "This  breaks  the  chain 
which  binds  us"  and  I  spoke  back  that 
chain  to  be  already  busted  when  she  read 
134 


Giovanna  as  the  Wrong  Princess 

me   about  that  mean   slapping  Zeerooty 
thing  she  wrote  to  put  me  into. 

Dolly  answered  she  would  never  never 
speak  to  me  again  and  I  told  her  I  would 
not  to  her  in  all  my  long  life  and  we  both 
cried  on  our  beds.  When  we  must  get  up 
to  undress,  Dolly  took  off  the  nugget  brace 
let  I  gave  her  Christmas  and  put  it  on  my 
bureau  and  me  the  same  on  hers  with  the 
silver  candlestick  she  gave  me. 

So  now  I  lost  my  chum  all  on  account  of 
that  Zeerooty.  I  never  expected  to  slap 
any  girl  again  but  I  would  Zeerooty  if  she 
were  only  in  the  world  to  receive  my  slap. 
And  I  won't  play  her !  I  won't !  I  won't ! 
I  wont! 

Your  mad  and  Sorry 
Giovanna. 

Angel  Mother  All  I  Got, 

It  is  now  three  days  that  Dolly  and  I 
don't  speak  any  more  than  frozen  icicles 
and  I  most  wish  I  was  one  to  fall  down  and 
135 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

break  into  little  pieces  and  be  finished. 
My  heart  is  so  heavy,  it's  like  carrying  the 
coal-hod  at  the  asylum  to  get  upstairs  with 
it  to  my  room.  Dolly  and  I  both  got  the 
proudness  not  to  tell  what  our  mad  is  about 
so  the  other  girls  guess  much  but  know 
nothing. 

O  Mother,  if  I  had  never  been  born, 
what  troubles  I  would  have  missed,  most 
of  all  this  cold  mad  lonesome  to  be  a  deafn- 
dumb  with  Dolly  studying  on  her  side  of 
our  room  a  deafndumb  also,  and  she  my 
used-to-be-dearest  next  to  you. 

If  Dolly  would  only  say  she  is  sorry  she 
wrote  that  Zeerooty  on  me  I  could  forgive 
her  in  a  minute,  but  she  never  will.  And 
I  don't  blame  Dolly,  Mother,  as  I  do  Zee- 
rooty  her  own  self.  You  know  how  Dolly 
told  that  those  characters  would  fuss  back 
at  her  and  dicktate  how  they  wanted  to  be 
fixed.  Dolly  is  ever  a  quick  forgiver  and 
never  would  have  thought  to  stick  in  that 
blow  for  all  the  girls  to  remember  me  as 
136 


Giovanna  as  the  Wrong  Princess 

I  was  in  my  slapping  days  if  Zeerooty  has 
not  hipnotized  her  to  do  it. 

But  now  she  has  chozen  between  me  and 
that  Zeerooty  whom  she  loves  like  a  mother 
her  bad  child  to  think  all  its  meanness  dar 
ling  and  cute.  She  cannot  see  me  write 
in  this  letter  "Dear  Dolly,  take  me  and  not 
your  old  Zeerooty,"  but  I  wouldn't  say  it 
to  her  out  loud,  not  for  the  big  round 
world  in  my  pocket.  Goodbye  my  Dolly 
chum,  I  hope  Zeerooty  makes  you  happy 
you  don't  look  happy  though,  but  sorry  and 
frozeup  same  as  me. 

I  feel  my  cry  is  coming  Mother,  and  I 
must  get  to  bed  quick  and  sqush  it  in  the 
pillow  for  Dolly  not  to  hear.  I'm  glad 
you  are  not  a  chum  to  bandon  me  for  some 
old  Zeerooty.  Mothers  are  just  the  one 
thing  in  the  world  you  can  always  keep 
unless  God  takes  them  up  to  Heaven. 
Goodnight  truest  and  darlingist, 

Giovanna. 

137 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

Treasure  Mother, 

A  real  lady  actress,  friend  to  the  Princi 
pal,  came  and  performed  like  Lady  Mac 
beth  in  Assembly  this  afternoon  just  for 
us  girls.  I  was  so  blue  I  didn't  want  to 
go  but  we  all  must.  She  was  dressed  very 
curious  and  talked  for  her  husband  Mr. 
Macbeth  also  just  as  I  used  to  for  my  doll 
only  she  made  her  voice  big  instead  of 
little.  He  wanted  to  be  king  as  the  witches 
proffyside  but  he  had  some  feelings  not  to 
kill  the  nice  gentle  old  really  truly  king 
come  to  visit  him  like  an  uncle  and  ex 
plained  how  murdering  your  company  is 
not  good  form.  I  guess  Lady  Macbeth's 
first  name  must  begin  with  Z.  O  Mother, 
I  shook  till  it  squeeked  the  seat  when  she 
dared  him  and  called  him  old  fraidcat.  Of 
course  he  didn't  have  to  mind  her  but  a 
wife  ought  to  keep  her  husband  out  of 
meanness  all  she  can  and  not  put  him  up  to 
more  like  Lady  Macbeth. 

I  was  sure  that  actress  lady  must  be  very 

138 


Giovanna  as  the  Wrong  Princess 

bad  by  nature  to  look  like  that  out  of  her 
eyes  and  dangerous,  ever  full  of  meanness 
to  do  somebody.  I  wondered  how  our  dear 
Principal  could  stand  her  for  a  friend. 

When  she  came  in  the  reception  room 
after  she  had  acted  I  did  not  know  her  in 
a  tailor  suit  and  smiling  sweet,  not  a  bit 
like  that  Lady  Macbeth.  I  was  standing 
close  by  the  Principal  and  my  astonish 
jumped  right  out  of  me  to  say  how  she 
looked  not  mean  but  a  lovely  lady.  The 
Principal  laughed  and  told  how  good  that 
actress  is  to  her  little  brothers  and  orphans 
and  beggars  and  adored  by  all. 

O  the  Principal  made  me  most  die  of 
mortifide  to  lead  me  to  the  actress  lady  and 
introdoose  me  by  telling  right  out  loud  my 
thinks  of  her.  But  she  was  so  Heavenly 
tackfull  Mother,  that  by  and  by  I  could 
ask  her  the  question  sticking  right  out  of 
my  soul  to  be  asked — how  she  could  act 
herself  into  a  mean  one  like  Lady  Macbeth 
whom  she  must  ever  hate  and  put  on  her 
139 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

looks  and  ways  for  all  persons  to  detest 
and  not  love. 

When  she  was  gone  I  ran  quick  upstairs 
with  my  heart  no  more  like  coal  hods. 
There  sat  Dolly  on  her  side  writing  like 
crazy  in  her  play  notebook.  I  never 
thought  not  to  speak  first  and  I  cried  out, 
"O  Dolly,  it  is  the  duty  of  my  face  to  be  a 
picture  of  Zeerooty's  face  and  my  voice  to 
sound  like  hers  and  my  actions  to  be  same 
as  her  actions  to  show  the  audients  what 
Zeerooty  is  like  and  not  what  I  am  like 
which  does  not  count  at  such  a  time. 
What  a  silly  I  was — all  ignoranty  and 
pursynal  like  you  said — so  please  forgive 
and  I  will  play  Zeerooty  dandy  as  I  can." 

Dolly  looked  up  awful  sweet  out  of  her 
writing  and  answered,  "No,  Giovanna,  you 
had  the  right  to  hate  Zeerooty  because  that 
actress  explained  it  to  be  the  smartness  of 
Shakespeare  for  Lady  Macbeth  to  have 
some  good  feelings  mixed  in  with  her  bad 
ness  and  those  repentants  in  her  sleep  and 
140 


Giovanna  as  the  Wrong  Princess 

to  be  no  monster.  My  Zeerooty  was  a 
fusser  and  a  scowler  and  a  screecher  every 
minute  which  is  to  be  a  monster.  I'm  glad 
you  hated  her ;  she  is  now  detestable  to  me 
the  same,  so  here  I  sit  writing  some  good 
feelings  and  repentants  into  her." 

I  asked  "Shall  Zeerooty  walk  in  my 
sleep?"  and  she  answered  she  would  be  no 
copycat  to  Shakespeare  but  ever  origynal 
and  make  me  into  a  nun  at  the  last  instead 
of  a  scratcher  of  Hop-livelys. 

Then  I  remembered  what  my  real  mad 
dest  mad  was  about,  only  it  was  so  good  to 
be  speaking  with  my  Dolly  chum  again  I 
didn't  much  care,  but  I  just  asked,  "Dolly, 
would  it  be  the  same  with  you  if  Zeerooty 
should  pull  your  hair  instead  of  slap,  for 
the  girls  to  not  remember  my  dreadful 
scandle  of  slapping  you  during  my  first 
dinner  in  this  school?" 

O  Mother,  Dolly  had  forgotten  all  about 
that  slap  or  she  never  would  have  put  it  in 
her  play  and  she  begged  please  forgive. 
141 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

We  hugged  and  kissed  like  crazy  and  went 
down  to  dinner  with  our  arms  around  as 
always.  I  am  so  happy  I  love  even  poor 
old  naughty  Zeerooty. 

Your  devoted  daughter 
The  Wrong  Princess. 


142 


GIOVANNA'S    COMMENCEMENT 

MOTHER  Dear, 

Such  high  sky  cheer  but  feelings 
queer  rezembling  fear  though  love  burns 
clear  to  know  that  we're  so  close  and  near. 

Why  I  almost  made  a  sonnut!  I  must 
be  catching  poetry  off  Dolly's  Muse.  A 
Muse,  Mother,  is  a  ghosty  person  only  not 
made  of  fog  and  clam  like  a  real  ghost  but 
just  of  air.  It  hawnts  round  waiting  to 
help  you  write  poetry  but  you  got  to  be  a 
true  genius  first.  No  other  girl  in  this 
school  has  a  Muse  except  Dolly  and  I  don't 
mind  it  hawnting  in  our  room  because  all 
it  does  is  to  keep  the  poetry  stirred  up  in 
Dolly's  soul. 

This  is  not  a  real  letter  for  the  post  office 
or  for  you  to  read  ever,  but  just  scribble  in 
the  back  of  my  composition  book  which 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

cannot  be  dissybedient  now  the  term  is 
over  all  but  fun  and  exes.  Dolly  down  in 
the  studyroom  crams  and  crams  till  she 
daresent  talk  for  fear  of  losing  something 
out  of  her  mind.  I  am  writing  this  sortof 
letter  just  to  keep  myself  out  of  crazyness 
while  I  wait  alone  in  my  room  the  long, 
long,  long  hours  before  you  come.  My  im- 
aginer  can  see  you  in  the  cars  this  minute. 
You  seem  to  be  looking  out  of  the  window 
and  I  wonder  if  you  got  little  thinks  of 
your  Giovanna  waiting  here.  On  the  seat 
by  your  side  is  some  big  package  of  my  sur 
prise  for  which  you  did  not  wish  me  to  meet 
you  at  the  train,  but  please  I  don't  need  that 
surprise — just  you!  you!  you!  Since  re 
ceiving  your  letter,  the  big  school  clock  has 
ever  ticked  "Mother's  coming!  Mother's 
coming!"  till  I  wrote  it  all  round  the  edge 
of  my  music  book  when  I  never  knew  I 
did.  " 

I  want  you  to  come  so  bad  I  can  hardly 
live  and  yet — O  Dearest,  all  the  corners  of 
144 


Giov  anna's  Commencement 

my  soul  are  full  of  scares.  I  stare  in  the 
mirror  until  Dolly  tells  I  am  getting  vanity 
on  myself,  but  it  is  my  wonder,  wonder 
what  my  looks  and  ways  will  be  to  you.  I 
hope  you  do  not  forget  how  Dago  black  I 
am  and  have  dizzypoint  in  me  for  that. 
And  my  manners — I  have  not  worn  them 
so  long  as  the  other  girls — sometimes  I 
lose  them  off  when  I  am  embearest  or  for 
get. 

Let's  count  me  up  together,  Mother,  now 
before  you  come.  I'm  bigger — that's  by 
the  grace  of  God  as  the  preacher  says.  I 
wear  the  clothes  of  grandeur — that's  by  the 
grace  of  your  love.  I  am  a  teeny  smarter 
in  my  head — that's  by  the  grace  of  my 
teachers. 

Spelling  is  still  my  ennemy.  I  don't  see 
why  God  made  so  many  ways  to  spell 
words  and  then  only  put  one  way  in  the 
Dictionery  which  He  must  have  written 
like  the  Bible  and  Encyclopedia  since  too 
big  for  any  person  to  write  in  his  long  life. 
145 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

Fractions  are  mean  too  and  I  hate  them ! 
What  is  the  good  to  divide  units  in  all 
those  stingey  parts  which  the  denommy- 
nator  shows  how  many  and  the  numerator 
what  you  give  each  person?  Fractions  is 
how  they  used  to  cut  the  pie  at  the  asylum 
on  Saturday.  If  it  wasn't  for  fractions 
there  would  be  no  poors  in  this  world  for 
everybody  would  have  good  and  plenty  of 
all  things.  O  Darlingest,  there  is  no  nu 
merator  and  denommynator  between  you 
and  me;  you  are  my  entire  Mother  instead 
of  1-90  of  a  matron  I  used  to  have. 

And  definitions  are  what  Dolly  calls 
my  pon  sassy  norum  which  is  Latin  for  the 
hardest  ever.  I  could  not  remember 
moonshiner  away  from  honeymoon  till 
Dolly  explained  which  one  makes  whisky 
on  the  still  and  which  one  is  two  going  off 
alone  after  the  wedding  on  a  journey  away 
from  all  encumbrants.  They  are  still  ro- 
nantics  and  just  hate  to  have  anybody  close 
except  themselves,  especially  children  big 
146 


Giovanna's  Commencement 

enough  to  be  obzervant.  Dolly  learned 
that  last  outside  of  the  book. 

I  was  sure,  Mother,  I  had  scribbled  away 
this  whole  hour  and  when  I  saw  it  to  be 
only  half  gone,  I  shook  my  little  watch  and 
then  kissed  it  to  forgive  me. 

It  is  Commencement  Week  in  this  school 
and  with  me  the  same  because  I  commence 
to  live  by  your  side.  I  wonder  if  I  will 
ever  acheeve  the  Senior  kind  to  wear  a 
graduated  dress  and  make  a  grand  bow 
(down,  head,  neck  and  chest;  up  chest, 
neck  and  head)  to  receive  my  dipploma  tied 
with  blue  ribbon  and  you  in  the  front  row 
quite  an  old  lady  (though  plenty  young 
now)  for  all  the  grades  and  classes  I  must 
get  promoted  through.  Dolly  is  a  Freshy 
which  is  to  be  despized  by  Seniors,  but  any 
way  Freshies  have  class  things  like  a  yell, 
a  color,  and  a  spirit,  while  the  grades  have 
not  and  so  are  despized  by  Freshies  the 
same. 

Mother,  so  near,  so  near  .  .  .  O  O  I  be- 


lieve  there  comes  the  maid  to  call  me  down 
stairs.  .  .  . 

Sweet  Mother  dear  did  wait  below,  and 
I  to  talk  with  her  did  go,  but  acted  like 
when  I  was  young,  they  used  to  say  "Cat's 
got  your  tongue." 

O  Muse,  go  way  and  let  me  alone! 
Can't  you  see  I'm  too  miserable  to  fool  with 
poetry?  Go  and  hawnt  Dolly  down  in  the 
study-room;  only  you'll  find  she's  dread 
fully  busy  cramming  math  and  she  won't 
bother  with  you  either ;  she's  got  real  trou 
bles  same  as  me — not  the  fancy  poetical 
kind! 

Please  excuse  me,  Muse,  to  be  so  cross 
and  rude,  but  it's  real  aggervating  of  you 
when  i'm  just  writing  down  my  woe  in 
this  same  old  composition  book  and  you 
change  it  into  doggyrells  which  is  all  the 
kind  you  can  unwind  in  me  since  I  am  no 
genius  like  my  Dolly  chum.  I  suppose  it's 
missing  her  makes  you  try  to  poetize  me. 
148 


Giovanna's  Commencement 

Now  be  good  and  you  may  look  over  my 
shoulder  though  the  Principal  says  for  that 
not  to  be  polite. 

I  shook  some  as  I  opened  the  reception 
room  door  and  there  was  Mother,  grander 
and  wonderf uller  than  even  my  remembers. 
She  met  me  on  the  first  oriental  rug  and 
hugged  me  in  her  arms  and  kissed  my 
cheeks  and  I  was  Heavenly  happy. 

But  Odear!  my  orgins  of  speech 
wouldn't  act  hardly  at  all.  A  teacher  says 
we  are  full  of  orgins — not  the  music  kind 
which  would  be  nicer  only  I  guess  we 
wouldn't  stay  in  tune  and  then  how  bad  we 
would  sound  up  to  God.  Mother  sat  down 
and  me  too  just  like  any  other  time  to  sit 
in  a  chair.  O  it  was  so  funny  and  glory- 
ous  to  have  her  close  like  that,  it  got  me 
awful  dazzled  up  and  all  I  could  talk  was 
"Yes,  Mother,"  "No,  Mother"  like  some 
silly  doll  when  you  pull  its  string.  Why 
didn't  you  come  down  stairs  Muse,  and 
hawnt  some  poetry  into  me — even  that 
149 


would    have    been    better    than    "Yes, 
Mother,"  "No,  Mother"  every  minute. 

My  orgin  of  thought  worked  right  along 
but  of  course  Mother  couldn't  hear  it. 
When  she  asked  was  I  in  a  hurry  for  my 
surprise  I  said  outside  "No,  Mother,"  but 
my  think  spoke  "Before  you  came,  Dearest, 
my  soul  was  boiling  over  with  hurry  like  a 
teakettle  but  by  your  side  I  got  no  hurry 
in  the  big  world." 

Mother  asked  didn't  I  wish  I  had  a 
father  and  I  answered  "No,  Mother"  but 
my  think  exclaimed :  "For  the  stupid  I  am, 
Mother  Dear  must  take  up  any  question 
she  can,  like  some  tackfull  lady  talking  to 
a  nidiot."  I  felt  so  mortified  I  was  almost 
some  glad  when  she  kissed  me  goodbye  on 
the  red  rug  in  the  hall.  O  all  the  night  I 
dreamed  and  dreamed  that  first  visit  and 
the  words  we  were  going  to  speak,  Mother 
to  me  and  me  to  Mother!  O  dear!  O 
dear !  O  dear ! 

150 


Giovanna's  Commencement 

Come  hawnt  me,  O  Muse,  if  you  want 
to,  for  Mother  Sweet  was  just  sitting  in 
that  chair  by  the  table  right  in  this  room, 
mine  and  Dolly's.  It  is  evening  but  it 
seemed  as  if  the  sun  shone  in  all  the  win 
dows  at  once ! 

Mother  said  "Here  I  am  again,  now 
don't  be  so  diffydent  and  sollum." 

My  thinks  hollered  that  I  wouldn't  but 
"No,  Mother,"  was  all  I  could  speak  and 
there  I  was  the  same  chumpy  nidiot  of  the 
afternoon. 

Mother  laughed.  O  Musie,  her  laugh 
rezembles  Men — somebody's  "Spring 
Song"  which  Dolly  ever  plays  on  the  piano 
for  company,  only  Mother  tinklies  softer 
and  more  sweet. 

Then  she  wanted  to  see  my  "Girl's 
School  Memory  Book"  and  I  sat  close  on 
my  stool  of  putting  on  shoes  to  explain  all 
with  gladness,  since  its  writings  and  paste- 
ings  were  done  for  her  precious  eyes.  I 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

got  my  tongue  back  from  the  cat  and  talked 
and  talked  and  talked — now,  O  Muse,  what 
do  you  think  of  that? 

When  the  book  was  finished,  Mother 
meddytated  to  herself.  By  and  by  I  put  a 
little  kiss  to  her  hand  and  it  fell  on  her 
rings,  a  diamond  solitary  and  another  un- 
fancy,  "Daughter,"  she  said,  "I  love  those 
rings  better  than  my  fingers."  She  med 
dytated  some  more  while  little  watch  on 
top  of  my  heart  ticked  "Mother's  here! 
Mother's  here!" 

Pretty  soon  she  sortof  waked  herself  up 
and  said,  "Giovanna,  when  you  have  a 
Mother  and  no  father,  you  are  still  half 
of  an  orphan." 

I  told  her,  "I  don't  feel  the  least  bit 
halffy,  Mother,  but  so  wrapped  all  round 
by  your  love  there  isn't  any  chilly  side  to 
my  soul !" 

She  spoke  how  splendid  for  me  to  own 
a  father  like  Dolly  and  the  other  girls. 

I  answered:  "No  thank  you,  please, 
152 


Giovanna's  Commencement 

because  a  father  would  divide  our  loves  and 
so  bring  fractions  into  our  family,  now  a 
Heavenly  unit  of  you  and  me." 

I  remembered  her  asking  me  in  the  re 
ception  room  about  wanting  a  father  and 
now  I  understood  it  was  not  just  for  tack- 
full  but  for  really  truly.  All  my  time  as 
her  daughter  it  has  been  her  angelical  wish 
for  me  nevermore  to  see  other  girls  with 
any  pretty  and  me  not. 

I  asked  her,  "If  he  is  my  father,  mustn't 
that  make  him  your  weddy  husband?" 

"Yes,"  answered  Mother,  and  blushed 
as  any  really  lady  must  all  times  do  when 
talk  is  about  their  husbands  and  they  have 
none. 

Then  we  meddytated  some  more  and  I 
thought  how  every  man  in  the  big  world 
who  sees  Mother  must  wish  he  could  have 
her  for  his  weddy  wife  to  sit  forever  by 
his  side. 

O  Muse,  I  was  afraid  not  to  be  respeck- 
full  if  I  talked  more  to  Mother  on  that 
153 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

blushy  subject,  but  she  asked  me  for  my 
thinks  so  I  spoke  them  out. 

"Mother,  he  mightn't  suit  you  the  least- 
est  bit  and  perhaps  you  don't  care  for  hus 
bands  anyways  so  please  don't  trouble 
yourself  since  you  are  to  me  plenty  of  par 
ents." 

The  Principal  says  there  isn't  any  joy 
like  selfsacryfke  and  that  is  the  true,  for 
Mother's  face  was  just  angel  shiney  with 
happiness  to  think  of  providing  me  to  a 
father  which  she  got  to  stand  his  long  life 
as  an  old  weddy  husband  always  round  in 
her  way. 

She  just  tinklied  some  more  laugh  and 
told  me  I  could  come  tomorrow  to  her  room 
at  the  hotel  and  receive  my  grand  surprise. 
Then  she  went  away.  Goodnight,  O 
Dolly's  Muse. 

Precious ,  Funny,  Darling  Mother, 

It  seems  like  the  night  of  day  after  to 
morrow  but  it  isn't  it's  the  same  evening 
154 


Giovanna's  Commencement 

tied  right  on  to  the  same  day  of  the  after 
noon  I  went  to  receive  my  surprise.  O  I 
must  write  all  down  here  quick,  quick  or 
I  will  believe  it  to  be  just  some  perhaps  I 
made  up  with  myself  and  it  isn't — it's  the 
true — the  great  big  wonderful  gloryous 
true !  This  time  I  got  to  write  it  like  a  let 
ter  to  you,  Mother,  as  I  so  long  have  the 
habit  and  not  to  any  Muse  of  slim  air. 
Anyway  Musie  is  busy  this  evening  wisper- 
ing  a  class  song  into  Dolly. 

In  your  room  waited  a  big  tall  high 
bundle  like  no  other  in  the  whole  world 
tied  round  and  round  with  white  paper  and 
white  ribbon. 

I  cried  out  was  it  a  statyou  to  stand  in 
my  room  and  you  said  a  little  like  that. 

I  asked  was  it  a  Polio,  god  of  handsome 
looks  ?  You  said  better  than  a  Polio,  and 
the  bundle  shook  as  if  wind  was  blowing  it. 
I  pulled  some  paper  off  and  there  was  cloth 
like  a  coat  and  I  said  I  was  glad  for  my 
statyou  to  not  be  cold  and  pitiful  like  the 
155 


Polio  of  the  Museum  seemed  when  I  put 
my  hand  on  him.  That  bundle  shook  more 
like  mice  running  up  and  down  inside  the 
paper  and  I  felt  creepyfied  but  I  pulled 
again  and  there  was  the  real  hand  of  a 
man. 

I  shreeked  it  was  a  burglar  and  ran 
away  to  you  and  shook  and  shook  but  you 
laughed  and  said  "Goosey,  would  I  bring 
you  a  burglar  for  a  present  ?" 

"O!  O!  O!"  I  screamed,  "It's  my 
new  father !"  But  I  couldn't  pull  any  more 
paper  off  him  for  shakes,  so  he  did  himself 
and  stood  there,  a  big,  grand,  fine,  dandy, 
shiverlrous  gentleman !  I  said  "Thank  you, 
Mother  for  this  nice  father  which  is  hand 
somer  than  Dolly's  or  a  Polio  but  don't 
make  trouble  to  yourself  just  on  account  of 
me — does  he  suit  you  for  a  weddy  hus 
band?" 

How  you  both  laughed  and  ran  together 
and  hugged  and  laughed  like  anything  and 

156 


pulled  again  and  there  was  the  real  hand  of  a  man  ' 


Page    156 


Giovanna's  Commencement 

explained  you  were  already  married  and 
having  your  honeymoons! 

0  and  then  my  happiness  got  an  awful 
bumpy  ripple  when  I  had  quick  remembers 
of  Dolly  explaining  how  honeymooners  are 
romantic  solitarys  with  their  worst  hate  on 
children  old  enough  to  be  obzervant. 

1  ran  and  looked  out  of  the  window  and 
twinkled  my  eyes  hard  not  to  cry.    I  stared 
at  a  girl  walking  with  a  blue  parrysol  and  I 
had  awful  jealous  feelings  to  be  just  an 
old  rag  doll  adoption  out  of  an  asylum  and 
now  not  wanted  by  you  any  more.     I  had 
those  feelings  while  that  girl  passed  by 
seven  lamp  posts  and  then  I  saw  what  a 
mean,  selfish,  horrid,  piggy  thing  I  was, 
not  to  like  you  to  be  a  romantic  and  have 
such  happy  looks  on  you  as  I  never  saw 
there  before! 

Then  you  and  Daddy  hugged  me  on  both 
sides  and  asked  what  was  my  sadness  and 
I  was  ashamed  but  must  tell  with  all  those 

157 


The  Heart  of  an  Orphan 

coaxes  and  you  both  said  this  'wasn't  any 
Dolly  deffynition  kind  of  honeymoon  but 
you  two  wanted  it  all  trimmed  up  with  chil 
dren.  For  that  we  are  going  next  week 
to  a  cottage  by  the  same  lake  where  the 
orphans  stay  in  a  big  camp  with  the  money 
out  of  the  kind  old  gentleman's  hat  at 
Christmas.  And  Daddy  says  in  its  turn  of 
ten  at  once  every  orphan  gets  a  ride  in  his 
gassylean  launch  on  the  lake. 

I  can't  hardly  believe  yet  that  Isabella  is 
to  come  for  her  vacation  from  the  school 
where  she  was  put  by  the  will  of  her  deadn- 
gone  Bennyfactor  and  that  Dolly  is  to 
visit  for  a  month  and  my  Italian  cousins 
out  of  their  tenement.  Joy!  joy!  joy! 

joy! 

O!  O!  O!  and  Daddy  Dear  took  a 
dockument  out  of  his  pocket  about  you  and 
him  adopting  me  leegully  for  all  my  life! 
That  dockument  is  my  dipploma  to  be 
graduated  out  of  the  orphan  school;  only 
I  made  no  down-head,  up-chest  bow  but 

158 


Giovanna's  Commencement 

plenty  of  hugs  to  you  and  Daddy  Dear  in 
stead. 

O  and  he  don't  bring  fractions  in  our 
family  and  divide  our  loves  as  I  was  afraid ! 
It  was  before  he  came  we  were  fractionary 
but  now  complete.  And  my  love  for  him 
is  not  cut  off  my  love  for  you  but  is  new  by 
itself. 

This  is  my  last  blank  page,  but  I  don't 
need  any  more  because  now  I'm  all  finished 
up  like  a  once-on-a-time  story  in  my  green 
fairy  book  to  "live  happy  ever  after"  with 
my  adored  parents.  Amen!  Amen! 
Amen ! 

Giovanna. 


THE  END. 


159 


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